Lola: An Underdog Story
by catilena1890
Summary: The story of a small girl as she teams up with a friendly but mocked Deino while they overcome multiple challenges in their quest to become great, despite the odds and the jerks. With an unfriendly rival pushing her over the edge and Lola the Deino's complex development, do Vixen and her band of misfits stand a chance in this cruel world that does not favor the underdog?
1. Prologue

Dragonite. Big, fierce, and very cute. Dragonite is said to be able to circle the globe in just 16 hours with its relatively tiny wings. It can wield attacks from many types, making it a formidable foe.

Tyranitar. A pokemon whose ferocity matches its frightening demeanor. Its power is so mighty and its bloodthirst so great, you will know it wants to fight by the never-ending sandstorm that accompanies it into battle.

Salamance. An even bigger, badder creature than even the cuddly Dragonite, even fiercer than the mighty Tyranitar. Salamance is the embodiment of what you can do when you believe in yourself and your dreams, and will aid all who share its destiny of pursuing seemingly impossible dreams.

Metagross. When Science and Fantasy come together, Metagross is the child they bear. A living super-computer, this large pokemon has no need to stand tall, for its incredible Psychic powers carry it through the heavens.

Garchomp. A pokemon that looks like it belongs in the sea, this mighty titan is the favorite among trainers who wish to be great. Its power is matched only by its massive speed and its silent devotion, utterly confident in its worthy trainer's skills.

These five great pokemon have powers so vast that there are those who declare them to be partial legendary pokemon. But even these five pokemon will dip their heads in respect when the last of the mightiest takes the scene.

Hydreigon's armory makes Dragonite's look like a mere chest of toys in a child's room. Its vicious looks and demeanor make even the mighty Tyranitar cry out. It has overcome far more obstacles in its journey to greatness than Salamance will ever overcome in its lifetime. Its power makes Metagross an outdated calculator, and its speed would shame Garchomp back to the dark depths of the oceans from whence it came. Unlike its siblings, Hydreigon can overpower the strongest of foes before they have the chance to attack its weak points.

And unlike its siblings, Hydreigon had to go through much more than all five combined.

This is the story of one such Hydreigon. With her unrelenting determination and support from me, Lola and her gang of fellow misfits continue the legacy of the pokemon who are worthy of the title "Legendary Pokemon".

TBC

Howdy howdy all! Did ya miss me? I know it's been awhile, so I thought I'd come out with this cute fic. This fanfic is based on my Avatar Challenge run of Pokemon Black 2. I`ll post the challenge at the end of my authors note here XD. But yeah in my run I decided to start out with a Deino, and the poor thing sucks balls. If she doesn't get the first hit in she's dead thanks to Deino getting Dragon Rage as a starting move. She can handle Male Deino just fine but the females we fought are freaking mean. Like seriously, when I was trying to catch Lola she was patient and didn't do anything to seriously hurt my Snivy while I whittled down her HP and then chucked a pokeball at her. She went in on the first ball. I tried to catch other female Deino for comparison, and they would not have it. They would destroy poor Lola every time, and that enamored me to her. I don't WANT a stronger Deino, I want THIS Deino. So let the beatdowns begin XD.

Avatar The Last Airbender Pokemon Challenge:

Rules;

1. Choose 1 nation to be apart of.

2. ONLY catch pokemon that have a type assigned to your tribe through the chart below;

Air Nomads: Flying, Psychic, Ghost, Bug

Water Tribe: Water, Ice, Grass, Poison

Fire Nation: Fire, Electric, Dark, Dragon

Earth Kingdom: Ground, Rock, Steel, Fighting

Normal

3. You are NOT the Avatar, deal with it *fuck that bitch, I have an expansion after after I`m done doing all four nations.*

4. You may catch a pokemon if it WILL gain a type assigned to your nation. (ie. An Earth Kingdom player may have Torchic as long as it evolves eventually.)

5. If by evolving your pokemon it becomes incompatible to your nation you cannot use that pokemon anymore.

6. Normal Pokemon can be caught by all but if it has a second typing then it must be one assigned to your nation or it can't be used. (ie. Anyone can have a Rattata but only Air Nomads can have Pidgey.)

Let me clarify some of the rules for you a bit, since one of my friends pointed out seemingly conflicting rules that made him very confused. The way they are spelled out, at first glance it looks like you have to use pure types right? Wrong. Rules two and four say you can have a pokemon so long as it has A type assigned to your nation. Which means Earthbenders can have Blaziken, Airbenders can have Swanna, Firebenders can have Kingdra, and Waterbenders can have Swampert. If this were not true, then Rule 6 would not be as clear about the Normal Type's secondary type since Normal is considered the default type.

At the end of the fanfic, I will show you the expansion that basically sticks a giant middle finger at Rule 3. It's actually quite fun, I made it myself and a lot of people say it sounds awesome. :3

And now, onto Chapter One!


	2. Chapter 1: Meeting Lola

Our story begins with me, Vixen. I won't try to take up too much time with my life before I started my journey, but let's just say I`m not the most popular gal in Aspertia. Almost everyone liked Cory more, and he knew it. I just sat in the shadows and watched while he bathed in the spotlight. I was perfectly fine on my own, I actually prefer it since the alternative is not that great. The alternative is being told I`d be worth nothing, and should just stay out of the way. I am quite soft spoken since I am, well small, but I was show them. I would show them all just how worthless I am! I wanted my own pokemon so that I could start a journey and show everyone just what this small fox was capable of!

On my fifthteenth birthday, after a small, but wonderful celebration with my mom, I packed my bag. Taking my mothers advice, I packed light. I put in a potion, two changes of clothes, and a container filled with some of my birthday cake. I was all set to go and almost left, but stopped short at my desk. I stared at the top drawer with a thoughtful silence before I opened it, pulling out an old, dusty pokeball. I smiled as I cleaned it up, allowing it's beautiful colors to shine.

Most standard pokeballs were red with a white bottom. But this one was special. The top of the pokeball was a deep, royal purple while the bottom of it bathed in silver, the two halves separated by a sapphire line and a ruby button. My mom gave this to me on my third birthday. She said that when she was a trainer, she had gotten this pokeball for her dearest friend, her beloved Dunsparce. Arrow was the first pokemon my mother caught, and was her best. They took on many challenges and enjoyed every one, even if they didn't always win. They loved each other as much as two best friends could, which made it both painful and satisfying when, just a year after my birth, Arrow passed away from old age. Having lived a full life and knowing her trainer would always love her and always be safe, Arrow decided it was her time to go.

When Mom gave me the pokeball, she told me that even though Arrow was a Dunsparce, a pokemon many people do not like or care about, she was strong in her own way. She might not have been able to fly like a Dragonite, nor burrow like an Excadrill, but her determination and willpower made her a force to be reckoned with, and this custom pokeball was Mom's way of showing she believed in her friend. And though I am small and weak now, she believes in me too.

So I now inherit the will of a dead Dunsparce, and I am freaking proud of it. I smiled and packed away the special pokeball, leaving for the gym. Cheran was good friends with Professor Juniper's Assistant, so I suggested we all meet at the gym so that he could see his friend. Being the main educator AND leader of the School/Gym meant Cheran couldn't get out much. Poor guy.

Fueled by the excitement of my journey, I sprinted towards the gym, a grin plastered onto my face. Finally, after years of ridicule, I`d be free to make my OWN decisions, free to decide who I would be and where I would go on my own. I got closer to the gym and saw Cheran and a woman in the front. My joy was about ready to burst forth from me at seeing them, but as I got closer, I noticed they looked sad. Why were they sad?

And just like that, all my hopes and dreams come crashing down with just a few words.

"I`m sorry, but they were all taken."

Cheran had put his hand on my shoulder while Bianca, his friend, looked absolutely miserable for not bringing more pokemon. I wanted to cry myself, and couldn't help it when I leaned into Cheran, clinging to the gym leaders uniform and quietly sobbing. It would be a whole year before more starters would be given to Juniper for distribution.

After releasing all of my emotions on the Aspertia Gym Leader, I let go and slowly stepped back to calm myself while the two of them looked at me with regret oozing out of them.

"Look at it this way, Vixen, one of the pokemon was taken by Cory. That means he won't be around to bother you anymore. If you want, you can help me teach at the gym and take care of the pokemon until next year." Cheran suggested, trying to cheer me up. He was always nice like that, trying to keep me in high spirits while Cory put me down.

"Oh gosh I am sooo so sorry. If I had known there would be more than three trainers, I would have brought more. My Stoutland's eggs just hatched, a baby Lillipup would have been a perfect starter for you!" Bianca said, still feeling horrible about the situation. I shook my head with a smile.

"It's okay I don't blame you in the slightest." I told her. I don't know if she believed me but it was the truth. It really wasn't the poor woman's fault, if anything it was Cory's. Anytime I tried to stand up for myself and make something out of myself, he always did everything he could to make sure I failed. I`m sure that even if Bianca DID have the power and means to bring a Lillipup as a registered starter here, he would have found a way to keep me from it too.

One thing people don't understand about me, I bounce back from disappointment pretty quickly, and so right now Cheran and Bianca were the only ones still sulking about _MY _setback. It was touching to know that I did have SOME friends who cared who weren't my mother, but it wasn't fair of me to let them suffer when I was the one who had been wronged. So I decided to cheer them up.

"Oh, Fezzy!" I yelled. Cheran's Unfezant rushed out of the trees and barreled into the Gym Leader, having caught him off-guard. Bianca and I both laughed and decided Cheran shouldn't have all the fun, so we put our stuff down and joined in. For the next hour or so, we romped around with Cheran and Bianca's senior pokemon, having good, old fashioned, Unovan fun.

But it couldn't last. School was about to start and Cheran didn't want to keep the munchkins waiting. He went inside the gym to prepare for his classes, and Bianca decided to explore Aspertia a bit. I would have gone with her, but I wanted to be alone. I made my way to the gate to route 19, assuring the guard that I was just going to sit on the path and watch the wild pokemon.

I did just as I told the guard and sat down on the path, well away from the tall grass to watch the wild pokemon. After all, liars are dirty and icky and need to be beaten by a Rhyperior.

Anyway, it was like any other day of watching Purrloin spar with each other, occasionally looking at me as if I had something they wanted. I was so happy and relaxed, I barely noticed when the Purrloin suddenly fled. Mildly curious but not totally concerned, I cracked an eye open just as a black and blue blur rushed out at me, screaming like a banshee. I stood up to try and run, but it was faster as it barreled into me, as if not knowing where it was going. I fell to the ground with a thud, feeling my teeth clack together painfully as my eyes squeezed shut to protect themselves from harm. I pushed myself up, dizzy from the experience, and looked to find what had hit me. Behind me, tangled in my legs, was a strange pokemon I had never seen before. Its head, neck and shoulders were covered in a black, fluffy down with some purple streaks, it's blue scaled body sprawled out under it. I untangled myself from it and moved closer to the dinosaur-like creature, checking for wounds.

"You really should watch where you're go-" I started, but then noticed something odd. I could see from the way it was tilting its head that the pokemon was clearly blind, and so could not have seen me in its way. It was obvious that if it had known I was in the path, it would have been more careful. The pokemon stirred slightly and sat up, its face pointing towards me. It stayed perfectly still and so did I. Call it convoluted, but this was a staring contest if ever there were one. I reached out and gently touched the pokemon's nose, and it responded by opening its mouth and carefully bringing my hand into it, biting softly but not hard enough to hurt. I smiled even as I heard a keening whine from the pokemon.

"You hurt sweetie? Don't worry, I`ll help you. Glad I brought my bag." I told it, reaching into the bag and taking out the potion I had packed. I pet the pokemon softly while I gently pushed it down, amazed as it lifted a leg to reveal a painful looking burn mark on its belly. A quick glance near its lower half revealed the pokemon as female, and I cooed comforting words at the pokemon while I sprayed the medicine, rubbing it in as she hissed, more out of pain than apprehension. Slowly, the wound went away, but I could tell that the poor creature would bear this scar for a long time to come. At least it looked pretty though, almost like a checkmark or an L. I sat back while the pokemon slowly got up, giving me a toothy smile as if saying '_I`m okay!' _ I gave it a smile myself and reached into my bag again, pulling out the cake I brought with me.

"Are you hungry? You can share this with me if you want. I was going to save it for my journey, but I….have other plans." I said with a slightly saddened tone. The pokemon tilted it's head at me and stuck its neck out until it was face to face with me, biting my nose and nuzzling my cheeks in an attempt to make me feel better. I laughed and gave her a pat on the head, feeling her large, fluffy horn before pushing her away. I opened the container and took out two squares of cake, a small piece for me and a larger one for her. We both ate relatively quickly and just enjoyed each others company, chewing our cake.

After we finished eating, I packed up my bag again and was getting ready to leave when I heard a growling sound, and it wasn't from my stomach. The pokemon whimpered as she bumped her head roughly against my legs. I looked up and saw more pokemon like my friend slowly stomp out of the tall grass. I could tell that they were no friends of the pokemon behind me and quickly gathered that they were the ones who had hurt her, and glared at them, even though they probably couldn't see me. One of the pokemon snorted as though amused, and quickly rushed forward, knocking me out of the way and pinning me down while the others closed in on my frightened friend.

"No!" She cried, which had confused me for a minute until I remembered that she was in trouble. I had to do something to help her. Reaching into my pack awkwardly, for it was on my back and the heavy pokemon was on my chest, I pulled out the container with the cake inside, flipping the lid off. It seemed to get the attention of my captor, who sniffed the air before getting off me to investigate the smell of the cake. It chowed down while I got up and ran back to my friend, sticking out my arms and firmly planting my feet into the ground.

"If you want her, you`ll have to go through me first!" I yelled. The pokemon did not hesitate to meet my demand, all rushing towards me. They all crashed into me one after another, pummeling me with everything they had, but I was not going to let them hurt my new friend. I could do nothing but hope that she would take the time to run away as slowly, I went down. When I hit the floor completely, I curled up into a ball to protect myself as best as I could while the beating continued, bodies throwing themselves against mine while small, knife-like teeth ripped through my clothes and into my flesh. I could feel the tears welling up as I came to terms with my nearing death, but then I heard it.

"DEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" A voice called, and suddenly I felt my attackers leave me one by one. With a small spurt of bravery, I opened my eyes and saw my friend standing in front of me protectively, the bullies scattered in front of us with various burns on their bodies. They groaned in pain as my friend snorted at them, still growling. I let out a small moan myself, drawing my friend's attention as she bent down to sniff me, poking her tongue out at my various cuts and bruises. Suddenly the pokemon that had held me down before realized the trick I had played, and charged forward to avenge its comrades. My friend snapped her head up and roared as a bluish-purple flame erupted from her open maw, engulfing the pokemon and throwing him back. I marveled at my friend's power and put a hand to her soft neck, exhaustion wracking my body. The pokemon rubbed its head against mine to keep me awake, but it was no use. I was just too tired. I remember feeling her tongue on my face as my world went dark.

When I woke up, I was still on the road, and the sun was starting to set. Through my fuzzy vision I saw two shapes that slowly but surely made themselves take form. One was my friend, who I could tell was very worried even though she didn't have much of a face to make expressions. The other one was an Audino. I felt a warm, happy feeling well up in my body, and I knew from watching the ones in the pokemon center that it was using Heal Pulse on me. Seeing me awake, Audino smiled at me and gave me a pat on the belly as it finished its move. I felt really good, and sat up, much to my friends delight, who promptly tackled me right back down, licking my face until I was almost drowning in her spit. The Audino gave her a light smack on the back of the head and scolded her, probably about being so rough with one of its recovering patients. Doing a final checkover, the Audino nodded in approval and gave me an oran berry, saying something that I could only guess was a wish to be careful as it wandered off. I looked around, and saw all the pokemon were gone except for my friend. I soon realized that this little pokemon fought them all off and chased them away, and then sought out an Audino, all for me. I sniffed slightly from the overwhelming emotion as I looked back at her, standing up. I gave her a warm smile and petted her head.

"Thanks so much for saving me from those pokemon, and for finding me a doctor. I had a lot of fun with you. I think it's time for me to go home though, okay? I hope to see you again soon." I said with one last stroke of her horn. I grabbed my bag and picked up the now empty container that held my life-saving cake, and I made my way back to the gate. I greeted the worrying guard with a smile, telling her that I was merely sleeping and forgot the time to alleviate her worries, and started to head out as she snickered. I was curious, but not overly so, as I went to the gym to see how Cheran and his class were doing. I could see that he and Bianca were outside of the gym, talking about something when they noticed me. I smiled and waved at them, running up to meet them. I furrowed my brow though as they held a curious look on their faces.

"You're being followed." Cheran said as he pointed behind me. I looked to where he was pointing and saw my friend happily trotting over to me, sitting down abruptly when she got close. I started petting her head happily while Cheran and Bianca looked in wonder.

"I met her on Route 19 earlier and we made friends with each other." I explained. Bianca quickly took out a tablet and started tapping it with her stylus.

"But, that's weird, Deino haven't been seen in the wild for a long time. And that one is really small." Bianca said, perking my interest.

"Deino huh? So that's what she is." I said as I smiled and leaned down to get a closer look at her, when I realized there was something shining in her mouth. I frowned a bit out of confusion and touched her mouth gently, and she promptly lifted her head and wiggled it until my hand was cupping the front of her mouth, and she dropped something into my palm. I gasped as she moved away, revealing my mother's pokeball. I must have dropped it while I was being attacked! But how did she find it? I looked up at her and felt a sort of connection, and both Cheran and Bianca grinned at each other in a knowing way. Pulling out her X-Transceiver, Bianca walked away to make a phone call while Cheran kneeled next to us.

"It looks like you two really like each other." He said with a smile. I looked at him and nodded slowly as I reached out to Deino. She slowly extended her neck out to me, and I put my palm on her nose, rubbing it gently while Bianca came speeding back.

"Are you ready to go Vixen?" She asked, startling me. I looked up at her with eyes wide as saucers and blinked several times.

"What?" I asked her. She smiled and handed me her tablet, and I took it to study the screen. On it was a Pokemon Trainer Registration form, with all of my info filled out except for the starter. I looked at Deino and stared at her for a long, long time before I looked at the pokeball in my hand. With a smile, I gave Bianca her tablet back and sat cross-legged in front of Deino.

"Say Deino, I know we just met and everything, but do you want to come with me? See, I was supposed to start my journey today, but all of the pokemon got taken before I could. I have to wait a year before there are more. If you come with me as my starter pokemon, we can be strong together! I saw what you did, and it was amazing! I would love to see that again. What do you say? Want to be my partner?" I asked her. Deino looked like she was thinking it over before giving me a toothy grin, bobbing her head up and down in her version of a nod. I beamed and promptly threw myself on the little blue dragon, hugging her tightly while she craned her neck to return the hug. I heard Bianca giggle while Cheran simply grinned, and I pulled away from Deino, still high from the happiness.

"You`ll need to catch her in a pokeball before you officially start your journey though. Hang on, I think I have one." Cheran said as he began searching through his pockets. I tilted my head for a moment before looking at the colorful ball in my hand, smiling.

"No need, I have one." I said as I expanded the ball. Deino looked at me with her stubby tail wagging while I stood up, and Cheran looked on curiously.

"Deino!" Said my new partner. I smiled as I tilted my head once more in thought before I saw the scar on her side and smiled.

"You`ll need a name, something that only you have and no other pokemon, not even other Deino. How do you like Lola?" I asked. Deino yipped happily and butted her head against my stomach, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Alright then. Here we go! Thanks so much Lola! Up!" I yelled as I threw the pokeball to the sky. Lola leapt up after it and hit the crimson button with her nose, the pokeball opening up and drawing her inside with a snap. The pokeball landed on the ground with a soft click, and it shook very quickly three times before it rang with success. My journey with Lola had begun, and Lola had started on the path to success.

TBC

This chapter took me about 3 hours to write. I promise they won't all be this long |D. I tried to make it as short as I could but still make it, well, good.

So this chapter had a bit of creative license taken to it. Obviously, in Black 2, Bianca meets you on the outlook and she doesn't run out of pokeballs. My Black 2 is a ROM, and for my Fire Nation run of the Avatar Challenge I have picked out my team that I am going to hack in, but in their base forms and at a decent level so that they aren't overpowered. I decided to pick Deino as my starter so after I got my Snivy from Bianca and beat Hugh, I went to the tall grass and tweaked the game to make wild Deino appear at level 6 *since that was the current level of my starter*. She did go into the pokeball without a fight though, that much is true.

Chapter 2 is on the way!


	3. Chapter 2: Enough is enough

Soon after I had captured Lola, I had to sit through the perfunctory "welcome to the world of pokemon" speech that every starter distributor coughs up to annoy beginning trainers. I wasn't officially left alone until Bianca and Cheran had walked me out to Route 19 to show me how to catch a pokemon, even though they SAW ME throw a pokeball to catch Lola. Bianca said that she had to still do it though because technically Lola went with me willingly, and most pokemon won't give up their independence that easily. I still think it was annoying though. Unless you live an incredibly sheltered life and are ignorant of pokemon in general, then it should be fairly obvious that you have to weaken them before you catch them.

Luckily I did get something out of it though. After she got through catching a Purrloin she gave me 10 pokeballs for free. That was pretty fun, though I doubt I'd use them all. I mean, I respect the pokedex project but I have something to prove first, and my quest won't get done if I tried to fill an encyclopedia first.

Wishing me good luck, Bianca and Cheran went back to Aspertia, leaving me all alone on route 19 again. Well, not totally alone, I had Lola with me. I stared at her pokeball, which felt heavier with my friend inside, and smiled as I raised it up.

"Okay Lola. Let the training begin!" I said as it opened up, Lola the Deino leaping out of it. She landed gracefully in front of me, well, as graceful as a lanky, blind dragon can, and gave me a huge smile when she turned around. I furrowed my brows at her as I lifted a hand in front of her face, slowly waving it around while she followed its movements. What the heck? Wasn't she blind?

"How are you doing that? I thought you can't see?" I asked her. Lola sat down and thought for a moment, trying to figure out how to explain it to me despite the language barrier. I could feel something poking into my thoughts, and I smiled as i petted her.

"Well, maybe you aren't totally blind. Let's give it a try and get some training done! If you are going to be strong, then you'll need to practice. Let's find an opponent." I said while she jumped up excitedly. I put my hand on her head, both to help guide her and to somewhat reassure myself, as we both wandered through the grass, searching for pokemon. We heard a growling and Lola tensed up, moving in front of me to protect me as the Deino from earlier returned. They were not happy about Lola beating them, and returned with their friends. I smirked as I gripped Lola's pokeball tightly, looking down at the Deino.

"Perfect. What do you say Lola? Up for round 2?" I asked. Lola snorted and stamped her foot angrily.

"Deino!" She said defiantly. I laughed and stepped backwards to give her more room.

"Let's boogie! Lola, use Dragon Rage!" I commanded. Lola roared as she obeyed, releasing the same purple-blue fire from before. It was certainly a powerful attack, for her level, and it engulfed many of the surrounding Deino, knocking them all out with one hit.

"Yeah! Go Lola! Teach them not to mess with the little guy!" I yelled, pleased with her progress. But I celebrated too soon. Her attack couldn't last forever, and she ran out of breath. With the flames gone, Lola panted softly, trying to catch her breath again. There were a lot more Deino this time though, and they would not give her the chance to beat them again as they all ran forward, tackling Lola over and over and in some cases, biting her. Lola yelped in pain as each blow connected, and it was all I could do to not rush over and rescue her from them. Maybe if I could call her back into her pokeball, I could run away quickly and get back to the gate. Surely the guards and their Arcanine partners were strong enough to fight off all of these pokemon. Gritting my teeth, I held Lola's pokeball up towards her.

"Lola! Return! I`ll get us away!" I cried. The pokeball emitted a red beam of light that shot out, and Lola leapt up to meet it, allowing the beam to hit her scar and pull her into the ball, much to the attacking Deino's anger as they then turned on me. I grinned wickedly at them and turned around.

"Catch me if you can, asshats!" I yelled, sprinting for the gates while the standing Deino ran after me. The one good thing about being small is that I`m fast and very agile. I can dart around pretty quickly as long as I don't have to run far. Luckily the gate wasn't that far. I ran through the doors and smirked as the Arcanine leapt over the counter and charged in front of me, snarling and barking at the now-stopping Deino. They both let loose powerful roars the sent the Deino scurrying for their lives. I couldn't help but giggle at the entire situation as I walked over to the Arcanine, giving them both a tight hug and smiling at their trainer.

"Thanks you guys. Lola and I bit off a bit more than we could handle." I said as the Arcanine licked my hands while the guard nodded.

"It happens, just go on to the pokemon center and get your pokemon healed. Don't worry, we'll make sure those pokemon stay out." She said cheerfully while her Arcanine barked in agreement. I smiled at them as I made my way back into Aspertia.

As I stood at the counter, waiting while Nurse Joy used her Machine to emulate a stronger version of Heal Pulse over Lola's pokeball, I started to think about what went wrong with me and Lola back on Route 19. Clearly she was very powerful, but she didn't have the mindset to limit it. I opened the pokedex and opened up the entry for Deino.

"_Deino, the Irate Pokemon. Because they cannot see, Deino bite and tackle everything that surrounds them. These aggressive pokemon are usually covered in scars as a result._" The mechanical voice stated. I frowned at the info because Lola never did any of that. I mean yeah she took my hand into her mouth when we first met, and tends to nose me a little, but she's been very gentle and calm to me overall.

Maybe that's why the other Deino don't like her. Maybe she's too soft and timid to actually stand up for herself. Suddenly I felt myself growing angry. In a way, Lola and I weren't all that different from each other. I am a small girl who has been told I would never be worth anything by all except a few. Lola too, has paid dearly for being just a bit smaller and less confident than everyone else. Well, that won't happen to her anymore! Not if I have anything to say about it! As soon as Lola comes off that machine, we're going to do some serious training.

I puffed out my chest, my confidence soaring with my solidified resolve, as Nurse Joy brought back my pokeball, giving me an odd and amused look.

"Here you are. Your Deino is feeling just fine now. You can go back to training, but I suggest you be careful not to get too far ahead of yourselves." She said warmly. I smiled and thanked the pokemon doctor, letting Lola out of her pokeball. The poor thing looked absolutely miserable, as if she had kicked her favorite puppy while trying to crush a cockroach. I put the pokeball back on my belt and picked up Lola, hugging her tightly.

"Don't worry Lola, we'll get better. I promise that last beating you took will be your last. Come on, let's go get some special training in and then we'll go show those Deino once and for all what a powerful pokemon you are!" I said, running out of the center with Lola in my arms. Although smaller than normal Deino, she was still pretty bulky, and running with her was kind of awkward, but at that moment I didn't care. I was going to reassure my friend that everything was okay and that I would help her any way I could.

Running until we got to the outlook, I set Lola down and panted, the wind being sucked out of me from my run with a 30 pound dragon. Lola poked her nose into my chest with a soft whine, as though asking me if I was alright, and I couldn't help but grin as I shot upright and threw my arm at Lola, pointing at her.

"I know what went wrong in that last battle, and why those Deino were so pissed at you to begin with. You aren't like other Deino are you? You're small, cuddly, and you don't have a mean bone in your body. Those are all very good things, but some people and pokemon don't think so. They tell you that because of those qualities you are beyond useless and worthless, and that the only way you could contribute to society is by staying out of the way." I declared, making Lola silent and melancholy. I hit the nail on the head. I smiled as I kneeled down to stare at her face.

"Believe me I`ve been there Lola. All of my classmates and neighbors have told me I would never amount to anything. Except for the Gym Leader, Nurse Joy, my mom and the afternoon shift Guard, no one believes I will be anything more than a runt who got lucky to be born. But you know what? I do. I know that if just given the chance, I can be more than what everyone tells me I can be." I continued. I cupped Lola's face with my hands and touched my forehead to her nose, trusting her not to bite me.

"Do you want to know why I believe that? My mom told me something special once. Do you remember the pokeball you brought back to me? That pokeball once held my mom's favorite pokemon. Arrow was a dunsparce that she absolutely adored, and it wasn't because Arrow was strong or pretty or rare. Arrow believed in herself and in her trainer, and no matter what happened she would always take on any challenge. It didn't matter how many people hated her, because my mom loved her unconditionally and she loved her back. That was enough for my mom and Arrow. Arrow showed mom she loved her with her constant willingness to fight for her beliefs, and Mom showed her loyalty to Arrow by buying her a special pokeball that cost her a fortune to get." I petted Lola as I brought the pokeball between us

"The people who make us feel bad for who we are, they don't do it because we are doing anything wrong. They hate looking at others who are what they are afraid to be, and so are determined to bring them down to their level until everyone is miserable. They want you to believe that you are worthless. But look at this pokeball Lola." I said, bringing the ball close enough for her to mouth and sniff it before I continued.

"Look at it and know that you are NOT worthless. You are NOT a loser. When you go into battle, I want you to remember this pokeball and know that you are strong, and that I believe in you. I know you are a peaceful pokemon, but when it is time to fight, I want you to fight with everything you've got so that you can show the world what you are made of." I put the pokeball back on my belt and stood up, looking at the land of Unova sprawled out beyond the railing.

"Let me hear it Lola! Hey Unova! My name is Vixen and this is my partner Lola! We are the going to be the best team that ever walked on the planet, and there isn't a damn thing you can do to stop us!" I yelled proudly as Lola reared up and put her front paws on the railing.

"DEINO!" She screamed with me, her inner fire lit up by my little speech. I smiled as I looked to the right, seeing the shadow of a big tree branch looming over.

"Come on Lola! Let's not have a bark bigger than our bite! Bite that tree branch that dares to muzzle us with it's shadows!" I declared as Lola ran, leaping up and snapping her jaws on the thick branch until it shattered. The severed limb landed with a thud in front of me while Lola stood on it, declaring her dominance over the fallen wood. I smiled and held out my arms as Lola leapt up to me and we hugged each other tightly, ready to take on our journey for real, and this time, nothing would stop us.

TBC

God I actually cried during this chapter. Okay, now this is based on the repeated ass kicking I got in my game. Unlike in this chapter, Lola and I kept getting sent back to the pokemon center like, 3 times before we finally started getting the upper hand. I hate that you lose prize money if you lose in wild battles. -_-


	4. Chapter 3: Control is Key

After our high from my little speech wore off, me and Lola got down to some serious training. She had to learn when to hold back and when to go all out, since that was her main problem. She really didn't want to hurt anyone. Lola needed to understand that giving your all in a battle doesn't mean hurting your opponent. Sometimes yes, pokemon do get hurt, in some cases badly, during battles. But at the same time, you learn to get a feel for each other's power.

"Do it Lola! Bite!" I yelled. She charged forward and latched onto the tree in front of her, shattering the branch. I smiled as I walked up to her, giving her a stroke on the neck. She perked her head up and beamed at me.

"Deino!" She said excitedly. I couldn't help but lean down and hug her tightly. Standing up, I began to walk away from our little training ground and started towards the gate.

"Let's go, we're ready." I told her. Lola obediently followed behind me with a spring in her step. We had spent the last couple of hours ripping branches off trees with her Bite attack and then setting them on fire with Dragon Rage. In the process, she had also perfected her Tackle and learned to use her horn in a deadly manner of Headbutt. Slowly but surely, we learned how to control her power and unleash it at will. But there was only one way to determine if we were really ready to use it.

"Listen Lola, I know you have a Docile nature, and you don't want to seriously hurt anyone, but as long as you control your power the way you showed me you can, you won't hurt anyone that bad. The worst you will do to anyone if knock them unconscious, which is what you are supposed to do. Understand?" I asked her. Lola silently nodded as we walked through the gate, ignoring the jeers from the night guard.

Yes, it was starting to get dark and the afternoon lady headed home, but I wasn't going to let something like that deter me from my journey. I love my mom but I am not going to spend one more night in the shelter of home when there was so much ahead of me. Camping out is all apart of the experience right? Besides, if anything went wrong I knew the Luxray of the Night Shift would protect me. Regardless of their trainers feelings for me they actually liked me, and would make sure Lola and I were safe even if he tried to tell them not to. The thought of being attacked by the Deino again wasn't what was bothering me right now though. It was something else entirely.

Dusk always made me slightly unsettled. I had never actually been outside of my house after the sun had set and the thought of being out after dark frightened me. It really did. But Lola would protect me. I know she would because she did even before she became my pokemon. She took on a gang of Deino and came out on top for the sake of my safety and mine alone, for she was too afraid to do anything until my well-being was at stake. That didn't make me feel 100% better about being out in the darkness though, but it did give me confidence to do it. I knew all the wild pokemon on route 19 very well, and the only one who would attack me are the Deino that showed up with Lola. But we would be okay. The wild pokemon would help protect me from them and even if they failed, this time Lola and I were ready. We started on the path and made our way through the grass, greeting all the Purrloin and Patrat who wished us luck even as darkness fell.

I decided that after a long day, Lola and I should get ready for bed. I yawned and opened my bag to pull out dinner. I stopped by the market earlier in the day to get some food for me and Lola for later, and I had a feeling she would like this. I knew I would. To celebrate the first day of our journey, I ponied up all my savings and bought three, good-sized steaks. I took the packages of meat out of my bag and set them out and carefully opened them, looking at a family of Purrloin who stared at the meat with hungry eyes.

"If you guys get firewood and something to stick these on, you can have one." I told them with a smile. It was why I had bought the third steak. All the times I had been out here the Purrloin never once stole from me, even though they had a penchant for doing so. I wanted to thank them for their decency and for entertaining me so much growing up, this was the least I could do. They scurried in different directions while Lola nosed at the raw meat, and I had to bat her away while the Purrloin returned one by one. Two carried some large logs that would make a great fire, and one brought back these skewers it had obviously stolen from someone who must have picnicked here without knowing the wildlife better. The third one brought an armful of goodies it had also stolen from people, and the four of them set their items in front of me. I smiled at them and thanked each Purrloin, especially the one who was willing to share its own food with me even though it really wasn't obligated to. I had set up the wood in a sort of pyramid, and I gave Lola a pat while the Purrloin loaded the skewers with the steaks.

"Okay Lola, let'er rip. Dragon Rage, but only a little bit okay?" I asked her. Lola nodded as she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as blue and purple tongues lapped at the wood. She continued to blow slowly as the Dragon Rage took its sweet time to ignite the wood. After awhile though, the flames started to turn orange as the fire lit, and I put a hand on Lola's head to let her know she could stop. She closed her mouth and slowly sighed, pleased with herself on a job well done. The Purrloin handed me the loaded skewers as I stared at the three steaks to decide who should get what. I handed the biggest steak to the four Purrloin, since there were more of them, while I stuck the handle of the next biggest one into Lola's mouth. We did a sort of toast by joining the tips of the skewers together, me, Lola, and the leader Purrloin, before we held them close to the fire, watching with hungry eyes and empty tummies as the meat slowly cooked. I am very glad Mom let me help her in the kitchen and taught me some of her recipes.

Dinner went by with relative ease as the 6 of us ate in peace. I had opened some of the goodies the Purrloin shared with us and we feasted on steaks and chips, finishing with a bag of fruit gummies. With fat tummies and warmth from the fire, we huddled up together for warmth, as I hadn't thought to bring a tent or a sleeping bag with me. Slowly, we all fell asleep with me clinging to Lola and the four Purrloin sprawled out on top of us, warmth being shared all around as the fire slowly died. This was a moment I was going to treasure forever, and I snuggled closer to Lola as slowly, for the second time that day, sleep overtook me.

The next morning, Lola and I woke up to four pairs of shining eyes. I looked at the Purrloin as they pushed my bag to me. I looked inside and found it filled with bags of chips and gummies, as well as a can of pokemon food that was loved by dark types. Turning to the Purrloin the dark cats gave me grateful smiles and each patted my knee before running off to forage and spar for the day. I smiled at their generosity and quickly put my pack back on, grabbing Lola's multicolored pokeball before standing with a stretch.

"Ready to go Lola?" I asked her. The little dragon smiled at me and started forward and I laughed, following her. As we walked, I saw the morning pokemon go about their days, and I felt freer than I ever had. With Lola by my side, I felt like I could take on the world, and I was ready to prove it when I heard a familiar growl. This time, we weren't going to run away. One by one, the Deino pack stalked toward us, but Lola and I had our wits about us. We stayed calm and collected while the Deino approached, and my eye twitched as I rested my hand on Lola's head.

"We're ready for you this time. If you guys don't want to get hurt, get out of our way. We're going to Floccesy, and you won't stop us." I said with the sort of calmness one would describe as deadly. The Deino scoffed as they each ran at Lola, but neither she nor I were going to run. Not this time. I stepped back and narrowed my eyes while Lola got into a fighting stance.

"Let's dance Lola! Headbutt and Bite, go!" I told her. Lola snarled and ran forward to meet her attackers, executing her moves in what could very easily be described as a dance. She bobbed and weaved to avoid taking damage, slamming her skull into her foes over and over. When one tried to do the same to her, she caught its horn in her mouth and clamped on tight, lifting her head and whirling to slam the foe into the rest of its team. Letting go of it, the Deino went flying into its comrades, knocking them down. The rest of the Deino were unsure, this was not the same little pokemon they had tormented relentlessly before. This one was actually fighting back, hard. Lola snorted as she returned to my side, snorting in a dominant way at them. They continued to growl, and they took one step forward in a list-ditch effort to intimidate us, but Lola and I were not going to be stopped.

"Dragon Rage Lola!" I called. Lola took a deep breath and released the blue-purple flames, roar withheld, moving her head in a way that would make the attack catch all of her opponent who cried out in pain. Those who survived the attack without falling unconscious stayed put, frozen in fear of Lola and her power. With one last snort, Lola butted me forward, walking with pride behind me as we strutted past our foes, our heads high. Those Deino would no longer torment my little Lola anymore, and she would not be intimated that easily again. As Floccesy came into view, I bent down and picked up Lola, spinning in a circle and hugging her tightly as the two of us celebrated our first win against powerful rivals.

TBC

Sorry, couldn't help putting in the Purrloin scene. I know what you're thinking, it's a bit out of character to make Purrloin suddenly generous and unwilling to steal from a child. But if you think about it it really isn't. In the Debut episode one Purrloin actually did take responsibility and made some sacrifices to save his trainer. So why can't a few wild Purrloin want to help an old friend prepare for her journey? Especially after she willingly shared a steak with them. Anyway this chapter comes from Lola improving in the game a bit and starting to be able to take on real opponents now. In the next chapter, you'll get to meet my new teammate, and we'll start making a bit more functional progress in the story.


	5. Chapter 4: Revenge

We made our way to Floccesy town, still running off the pride of our win. Suddenly…

"AH OH MY GOD I`M ON FIRE!" Was my exact quote as I heard a voice call out to me and saw something big and fiery jump down in front of us, scaring the crap out of me and startling Lola to the point where she yelped and released Dragon Rage. The figure ducked as her purple-blue flames shot past it, and the creature ran to me and gripped my shoulders in alarm.

"WOAH take it easy! I`m terribly sorry I didn't mean to scare you guys like that." Said a male voice. I looked up and saw that it was NOT a fiery monster from the depths of the Distortion World that came to eat me for my hypocrisy, but instead the fiery-headed former champion of Unova. I sighed in relief and quickly calmed down my panicking Deino. After everyone got themselves together, Alder and I shared a good laugh over the whole ordeal.

"I`m just glad Lola didn't roast you. That would be a tough one to explain to Officer Jenny." I said with a giggle as I petted Lola. Alder chuckled as he held a hand up.

"Not as tough as you'd think. Anyway, I saw what you and your Deino did and I've gotta say, I'm really impressed. Your Deino looks really good." He said as Lola preened. I rolled my eyes at the pair and shook my head. Looking up at Alder, I found myself curious.

"So uh, what can I help you with?" I asked him. He gave me a warm smile as he started walking towards Floccesy town.

"You're a new trainer right? Come with me." He asked. I shrugged and, not knowing what else to do, followed him with Lola padding beside me. We followed Alder into town where the most soothing music was playing from a small band in the square. I couldn't help but sway to the song as Lola and I followed Alder, drunk from the relaxed music. He led us through the streets and up a flight of stairs until an old, homey building rose up in front of us. Clearly it was his home, and he led us inside.

The inside of the building looked just as warm and inviting as the outside had. There were many tables and cushions lined in the room and in the back, a few steps rose up, covered by a carpet not unlike what Alder himself wore. Boxes were scattered on the sides and on a shelf in the very back were 3 pokeballs. For a moment, I thought he was a distributor, but as he asked me to sit down and then disappeared into a door next to the shelf, I suddenly had a queasy feeling well up inside me. I whimpered a little and shrunk in on myself, unsure of this feeling, while Lola headbutted me gently to try and comfort me. Why was I feeling so unsettled?

"So where is this promising new trainer you want me to battle?" A familiar voice said, making my skin crawl and my eyes widen. No. No anyone but him. I looked up as the door opened again and Alder came out, followed by the last person I wanted to see. Cory. Cory and I stared at each other for what seemed like ages, and Lola and Alder were both confused, though Lola moved to step in front of me to protect me. Suddenly Cory sneered at me and then turned to Alder as the older man spoke.

"This is who I want you to battle. She and her pokemon are quite something." He said, completely oblivious to the hostile air that began to fill the room. Cory burst out laughing as though what Alder said was the most hilarious thing he ever heard, and I could feel myself growing annoyed.

"You're joking right? Don't you know who she is? That's itty bitty Vixy, my runt classmate from trainer school. And she ain't a trainer, let alone "quite something". Now seriously, where is the trainer you wanted me to fight?" He asked, and I felt myself go over the boiling point as I stood up abruptly and slammed my fist on the table in front of me.

"I _AM_ the trainer he wanted you to fight Cory! Despite your best efforts, you _didn't_ prevent me from becoming a trainer. Come on you slimy little wurmple! You think you are so much better than me? Why don't you prove it by battling me and Lola? Unless you're a Torchic! Chic chic chic!" I said with venom in my voice. Lola echoed my challenge with a stomp of her foot, and Alder just watched in silence as Cory stared at me with pure rage in his eyes. No one had EVER spoken to him like that, and for the first one to do so being the runt that he picked on since the day he was born seemed to fill him with rage. He grabbed a pokeball off his belt and looked at me as though he could kill me just by glaring.

"How dare you?! Fine, I accept your challenge runt. We'll put you in your place for good. Wotter, let's go!" He said, throwing the pokeball as though it had poop on it. The pokemon burst out of the pokeball and looked at me with an air of friendliness. It was kinda cute actually. And it seemed nice enough, though I had a point to prove, and that Oshawott needed to go down to do it. Lola padded in front of me and faced the Oshawott, growling in my defense, and the Oshawott grabbed its scalchop.

"Wotter? Seriously? What did you do that so you could remember it was a water type and not a rock pokemon?" I said, baiting Cory. He fumed as he bared his teeth at me.

"Shut up! It's better than Lola! Seriously what kind of retarded name is that? Wotter! Use water gun!" He commanded. Wotter gave me an apologetic look as it obeyed, releasing a small torrent of water towards Lola. Looking at the type compatibility chart in my head for a moment, I smirked before turning to Lola.

"Stand your ground Lola! Then use Headbutt!" I commanded. Lola lowered her head to take on the attack and then charged forward, slamming into Wotter's stomach. Cory growled at the retaliation as Wotter flew at his feet.

"Get up Wotter! What happened? Why didn't my attack do anything?!" He growled. I smirked at his ignorance as Lola trotted back to me.

"You should have paid attention in school when they were teaching us about types. Don't you know Water type attacks can't do serious damage on Dragon pokemon unless there was a massive difference in level?" I teased. Seeing Cory squirm was great, and once again I had Lola to thank for this. Cory was beyond pissed as he glared at his Oshawott.

"Get up Wotter! Don't let this runt beat me! Get up and tackle that overgrown lizard!" He commanded. Wotter clearly had a hard time getting up, considering the massive hit that Lola had dealt it, and seeing it struggle snapped me out of my rage and made me feel sorry for it.

"Hey Cory, I think we should stop. Wotter looks too tired and hurt." I said as the pokemon finally stood.

"Shut up! I know more about my pokemon than you do! You just don't want me to win! I ALWAYS win, runt! And I ALWAYS beat you! Wotter! Tackle!" He commanded, Wotter stood up and ran at Lola with full speed. Clearly it was giving everything it had, and as Lola braced herself to bounce it back again, I found I didn't have it in me to let her do it. I wanted to win, and beat Cory, but not like this. I sighed as I knew what I had to do.

"Lola!" I yelled. She nodded as she seemed to catch on what I wanted her to do, and she began running at Wotter in a Tackle of her own, though she "tripped" halfway through and fell down, exposing her scar as Wotter slammed into her, sending her across the room as I ran to intercept, wheezing as I caught her and softened the impact with my body while we crashed into the wall. While I sucked in as much air back into my lungs as I could, Lola licking my neck to help stimulate the muscles, I could hear Cory whooping and hollering and praising his injured Oshawott.

"Haha yeah! I told you Vixen! I ALWAYS win. See you later loser! I`m off to get my first badge!" He said as he proudly carried his tired Oshawott out of the house.

Having caught my breath, I encircled Lola's neck and held her tightly and began to cry and apologize to her over and over, burying my face in her fluffy down and gripping it in my fingers as she nuzzled me tenderly, muttering her name in my ear as though saying sweet nothings to comfort me. The sobs wracked my body and soon I felt a warm hand on my back. Looking up from the neck of my Deino, I saw Alder look at me with a sort of warmth and pride one would see in their beloved grandfather.

"What you did was very brave, and very noble. And the best part was the you communicated it to your pokemon without words. As far as I am concerned, YOU won that battle. I have something for you." He said as he stood up, walking to the back of the room where the pokeballs laid on the shelf. He picked one up and wandered back over to me, holding the pokeball in front of me. I sniffled as I took the offered pokeball and stared at the button.

"What is this?" I asked, my voice thick with crying. Lola poked the pokeball with her nose curiously as Alder smiled at us.

"After I left the pokemon league, I decided to help with the starter pokemon breeding program. Don't tell anyone, but I have a secret breeding ground behind my house where I help breed pokemon suitable for beginning trainers. That one is one of the more exotic starters, and I was going to keep it for a little while longer because it still needs some guidance. But I can't quite teach it the right kinds of values it needs because I`m old and I don't get around as much as I used to. I think YOU are better suited to raising this pokemon than I am. Take it as my thanks for showing me such a mature, well-thought out battle." He told me. Forgetting my sadness, I stared at the pokeball in wonder, unsure of if I truly deserved such an honor. Lola bumped me with her nose and gave me a warm smile that seemed to say '_What are you waiting for? Open it!_ ' I smiled back at her as I tapped the button, turning the pokeball around as it burst open and the small pokemon emerged from inside.

It. Was. ADORABLE. From its squinty eyes to the yellow belly to the magnificent green fur with four red spots, this pokemon was basically cute on steroids. It looked up at me and stuck its tongue out in an adorable way. If one could die from cuteness, I would have dropped down right there.

"Quil!" It said, leaping into my chest. I giggled as I hugged the pokemon tightly, lifting it away from me and turning it over until I could identify its gender.

"You're a boy! You are really cute, and you remind me of this hilarious and adorable character in a book I read once. So from this day on your name is Sorrel. Do you like it?" I asked. The cyndaquil giggled and rubbed his nose against my wrist, clearly happy with my choice. I smiled and hugged Sorrel again, looking up at a beaming Alder.

"How could I possibly thank you for this?" I asked him. Alder laughed as he put a hand on my head, rubbing my dirty blonde hair.

"Never give up. A dream is a wonderful thing, so you can best repay me by continuing to chase yours. Don't let people like Cory get to you. And remember to have fun! There's nothing more fun than a journey with pokemon! My advice to you: take on the gyms. Cory might feel better about battling and losing to you if you take part in the pokemon league. Only the serious trainers pursue that destiny." He said. I held Sorrel in my arms as I silently considered Alder's proposal, looking at Lola for her input. She simply smiled and touched my cheek with her nose, and I knew that no matter what I chose, she'd support me all the way.

"Alright I`ll do it. But, where do I start?" I wondered, looking at Alder. He hummed in consideration as he thought of where my first badge should be.

"You're from Aspertia right? Why don't you go back and challenge your gym there? I`m sure you know of the gym leader, and I`m definitely sure Cheran would love to see how far you have come." He replied. I smiled as I realized he was right. Challenging Cheran would surely show that I was ready to be on my own, and that I would be just fine. I stood up, tightening my grip on Sorrel to keep him from falling while a fire lit inside of me.

"Then Aspertia city it is. Look out Cheran, we're coming for your badge!" I declared, smiling as though I could already taste victory. With our new friend Sorrel, the Pokemon League didn't stand a chance against me and Lola.

TBC

I hate constantly going in and editing the underline. Can someone tell me how to make the border appear? Please? I`m sick of it ALWAYS disappearing on me. Anyway, so this chapter strayed a bit from Black 2. Yes, you DO meet Alder going into Floccesy, but sorry, he doesn't give you a cyndaquil. Or any pokemon for that matter. He mainly shows up just to say "Hi I exist." and have you beat up little kids like in black and white. I caught my Cyndaquil for real on Route 19, again with an action replay code. Also, Cory and his Oshawott. They aren't actually based on anyone I know, I just wanted a bullying rival with a nice pokemon. He really did only start his journey just to keep Vixen from going on hers. He's a dick like that. Poor Wotter, getting stuck with a crappy name and a crappy trainer. I hope this proves that just because I dislike Oshawott, I don't hate it. I hate Ash's Oshawott, not Oshawott in general, because Samurott is cool. Not as cool as Serperior, but still cool.


	6. Chapter 5: The Basic Badge

After thanking Alder for the millionth time, I left his home to begin training. I decided that while Lola was strong now, Sorrel, who rode on her back while she loyally followed behind me, would need some practice. So the best way to get him trained was to start at the beginning. I made my way back to Route 19 and I overlooked the grassland off the small hill I stood on. Though it was cold, much colder than normal, it was still a relatively nice day. I smiled and made my way down the hill to find someone willing to train with me and Sorrel, and I heard a familiar growl. I moaned in exasperation as Lola and I turned to the brush from which multiple Deino emerged.

"Don't you guys ever give up? Come on, Lola won 2 out of 3." I said while shaking my head, but something was off about the Deino. They didn't seem to be as aggressive as before. They calmly walked up to us, and Lola tensed herself in case she had to defend us. However that proved to be unneeded as the Deino laid down one by one and rolled over, exposing their soft bellies to us. Oh, so NOW they wanted to be friends? Go figure. But then, this was good, because I had an idea.

"Say guys, you wanna help us out? We want to challenge the gym in Aspertia, and I'd appreciate it if you helped us get ready." I asked them. The Deino barked as they rolled back onto their feet, smiling at us as they reared up, eager to make it up to us. Maybe they weren't such bad pokemon after all.

And so I spent the entire morning coaching Sorrel and Lola. The Deino took turns fighting Lola and Sorrel. Though I could easily have done a double battle format, it was important for Sorrel to get one on one experience and not have to depend on Lola for strength. And he didn't need to. Though he was a goofy little thing, Sorrel was a strong little Cyndaquil. I mean yeah, I knew what the Deino were capable of and that they were holding back quite a bit for Sorrel's sake, but they were still fighting seriously and so was he. That tiny little fire mouse gave them everything he had, and after awhile, his back erupted into flames while he cried out, firing little flames out at his current opponent. Lola and her opponent stopped sparring as, shortly after executing his newly learned Ember attack, Sorrel began to glow, and it wasn't from the flames on his back.

His tiny ball of a body grew long and slightly pudgy. His once thin nose becoming rounder while his limbs got more pronounced. As the glowing faded, Sorrel sat on his back legs, his arms hanging against his body. Sorrel opened his eyes to reveal crimson orbs, and he fell onto his forelegs as he let out a roar, flames erupting from his head and rump. I smiled as I hopped up and down in glee, having witnessed my first evolution.

"Look at you Sorrel! You evolved!" I shouted. Sorrel looked at me with his tongue poking out as he ran to me, barreling into my chest.

"Quilava!" He cried. I hugged him tightly, relieved that even though he wasn't a tiny Cyndaquil anymore, he was still the same adorable, Quirky little ball of fire and fur that Alder gave to me. I put him down and smiled as Lola joined us, and we looked at the Deino we had spent the morning with.

"Thanks so much you guys. We're ready. Wish us luck!" I said as I turned away, walking towards the Aspertia gate with Sorrel and Lola walking on either side of me. I couldn't help but smile as I heard the other Deino calling out to us, saying good bye and wishing us good will as we left the grass. Upon entering the gate, I greeted the Afternoon Guard and her two Arcanine, telling them of my intentions before leaving for the city itself.

Aspertia seemed strange to me now, even though it had only been a day since I left for my journey. With a shrug, I continued on the familiar roads until I got to the gym, and I realized that now was probably not the best time to bother Cheran, since he was most likely teaching right now. Looking at Sorrel and Lola, I smiled and began walking towards the gym anyway. Who said I need to challenge Cheran now? My pokemon were sweet and gentle enough, I`ll let the kids play with them while I tell Cheran about my adventure so far. I walked into the building and made my way towards the classroom, where Cheran was talking about battle ailments.

"Poisoning, Burns, Paralysis, Freezing and Sleep are the 5 main afflictions pokemon can get in battle. There is also Confusion, but it is not considered an affliction since pokemon can have it and one of the other 5 as well. They are all temporary though, and go away when your pokemon falls unconscious, or you take it to a pokemon center." I heard Cheran say as I stood in the doorway. He clearly saw me, and smiled, but carried on with his lesson knowing I wouldn't interfere.

"Now then, all of the conditions, even confusion, can be prevented by the pokemon themselves. Either by their type or ability. Your homework tonight is to figure out how each affliction, even confusion, can be prevented. Now then, I`ll be back in 5 minutes. Be nice." He said as he walked towards me while the classroom erupted into chatter. I stepped back so he could leave the classroom and close the door. Cheran gave me a warm smile as he observed Lola and Sorrel, and I couldn't help but return the toothy grin.

"I was gonna challenge you to a gym battle, but then I took an arrow to the knee." I said, causing Cheran to chuckle and shake his head in exasperation.

"it wasn't funny when I heard that from Cory, why would it be funny from you?" He asked with a mischievous glint in his eye. I could tell he was just playing, so it was just fine.

"Because the joke is in the random timing in which it was told?" I offered. Cheran looked like he was thinking before nodding.

"Very true. Anyway I accept your challenge." He said, sticking his head back into the classroom.

"Gym Battle everyone." He said, causing the children to break out in delightful screams. I was floored for a moment, having had my challenge accepted even during class. The children ran out of the room and formed a single file line while Cheran stood next to me in the back, with a smile, he directed the girl in the front of the line to lead us to the field. We all walked through the halls until we reached the back of the gym, going through a door that led to the gyms dusty battlefield. With a snap of his fingers, Cheran's class ran to the bleachers and found seats while he took his place on the high rise on one side of the field. I stood on my side of the field, and couldn't help the nervous and excited at the same time. After all, it was my first battle. Clyde showed up behind me and took his place in the middle of the field on the sidelines.

"This will be a two on two single-style gym battle. When both pokemon on one side are unable to continue the battle will end. Only the challenger may make substitutions. Begin when ready." He said in a professional tone. I couldn't help but smile as I looked at Sorrel.

"You're up first buddy, let's show Cheran what you can do." I told him. Sorrel gave me his trademark smile with his tongue sticking out, and padded to the center of my side of the field. Cheran gave a nod of approval as he pulled out a pokeball.

"Alright then. Here I come Vixen. Show me how far you've come." He said, throwing his pokeball. A Patrat emerged from it, and I was slightly disappointed. He was going to use the official gym pokemon instead of his own. That was a bummer. Oh well, at least I was still fighting Cheren. He would give me a good fight even if the pokemon he used weren't his pokemon. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, opening them with determination.

"Sorrel, start off with Quick Attack!" I commanded. Sorrel began to run at Patrat with lightning fast speed. Cheran was unfazed though, and he crossed his arms.

"Patrat, do it." He commanded. Patrat nodded and stayed perfectly still even as Sorrel slammed into it. That was odd, why wasn't it dodging or counter-attacking? Cheran wasn't one to throw a fight. What was he up to? I didn't have time to dwell on it though, I wanted to finish this quickly.

"Sorrel, now use Ember! And don't stop until it goes down!" I told him. Sorrel backed away from it and lit his head and tail flames, howling as he spit his small flames at the Patrat. The Scout Pokemon winced in pain, but still stayed strong as Cheran closed his eyes. When it started to glow, Cheran opened his eyes abruptly.

"Let it go Patrat!" He commanded. Patrat suddenly squawked as it brought its paws together, even while Sorrel's Ember burned it, and a ball of energy formed in the center of its paws. Thrusting its arms forward, Patrat unleashed a massive beam of energy at Sorrel, hitting him dead-on in the center of his chest and throwing him at my feet. Oops.

"Bide. I should have known. I`m sorry Cheran. Sorry Sorrel." I said, bending down to pick up the Quilava.

"Quilava is unable to battle, Patrat wins." Clyde said as Sorrel gave me an apologetic smile. I smiled back at him and shook my head, hugging him tight.

"It's okay buddy, you did great. Now take a good, long rest." I told him, recalling him back into his pokeball. Standing up, I gave Cheran a defiant smile.

"Wanna keep going?" He asked. I nodded as Lola trotted in front of me. She snorted and stamped her foot, obviously ready to go. Though I didn't spend as much time coaching her through the training with the Deino as I did with Sorrel, I knew she was independent and smart enough to have gotten what she needed from them. She was ready for this fight.

"You're in trouble Cheran. Lola and I have come a long way since you last saw us." I told him as Lola chuffed in agreement. Cheran smiled at us as he uncrossed his arms. He was going to take us seriously now.

"We'll see about that. Patrat, Bite!" He commanded. Patrat ran forward and leapt up, latching onto Lola's horn with its big teeth. Lola roared as she threw her head, trying to get it off. I gritted my teeth at the move, and tried to think quickly. Wait a second, the stand! The high rise Cheran stood on looked very sturdy. I grinned as I got an idea.

"Lola! Use Headbutt on the high rise in front of you!" I yelled. Lola reared up and charged forward, lowering her head as she made contact with one of the support beams on the high rise Cheran stood on. But she herself didn't make contact. The Patrat that clung to her horn gasped as the wind was knocked out of it from being squished between her hard head and the beam which supported its trainer. Lola pulled away and made her way back to me, shaking the dizziness off her head as Patrat fell to the ground, rolling over in dizziness.

"Patrat is unable to battle! Deino wins!" Clyde said as Cheran recalled his pokemon. He gave me a small smile as he brought out another pokeball.

"Very clever of you, using the field to your advantage. I was surprised by your recklessness during the start of the battle but it looks like you snapped out of it. Now the real battle begins." He said, throwing the pokeball. A Lillipup burst out of the ball and ran around the field excitedly, and for a moment I was filled with the desire to play with it. But then Cheran snapped his fingers, and suddenly Lillipup calmed down, staring at me and growling. I smiled as Lola got into a fighting stance, and the battle began.

"Lola, Tackle!"

"Lillipup, Tackle!" Cheran and I cried. The two pokemon charged at each other, connecting blows over and over, with neither side giving an inch. I could hear the children of Cheran's class shouting encouragements, some for Lillipup and some for Lola. I couldn't help but smile as I realized, this was fun! Alder was right, there was nothing like a good battle. It didn't matter what the outcome would be, I was still having fun. That said, I really wanted to win.

"Lola, use Bite to get it away from you and then follow up with Dragon Rage!" I commanded. Lola grabbed one of Lillipup's ears and tossed it back, then she opened her mouth and released Dragon Rage. The blue and purple flames shot out towards Lillipup, but it was fast. Lillipup quickly ran out of the way of the Dragon Rage, barreling towards Lola and slamming into her side.

"You`ll have to do better than that if you want your first badge. Lillipup, Tackle again!" Cheran called. Lillipup barked as it charged at Lola, constantly dodging every move she made, much to her frustration. I wasn't too happy myself. How was I supposed to beat a pokemon that could move so much faster? I growled softly as Lola kept trying. I could hear her whimpers as she desperately tried to connect her attack so as not to disappoint me. I kept thinking, but I could not find a way to slow down that Lillipup.

"Keep trying Lola! Keep up the Dragon Rage!" I commanded. Lola screeched as she carried out my command, spitting fireball after fireball at the speeding Lillipup. Okay this was getting stupid. I could feel my left leg twitch in irritation in sync with my eye, and anyone who didn't know better would think I was having a heart attack, but this was pissing me off. I looked down at Lola's pokeball and clenched my fist, I couldn't give up, I wouldn't. And neither would Lola. I looked back at the battle and saw something strange. Her flames were changing color. Dragon Rage always produced a fire that had a blue-and-purple hue to it. But with each attack her fires grew more purple, and then turned into a reddish purple, and it was getting more and more red. I opened my pokedex and scanned her, then smiling at the data it told me. This attack, if I timed it right we might just slow that Lillipup down.

"Lola! Stop attacking and use Headbutt!" I commanded. Lola closed her mouth and charged at Lillipup, who easily dodged while Cheran scoffed.

"What are you doing? That won't work. Lillipup, finish this with Tackle!" He commanded. Perfect. As Lillipup charged at Lola, I smirked. It was just what I had been waiting for. As though she knew what I was planning, Lola stayed still like a good girl as the Lillipup got closer and closer. With another toothy grin, I threw my fist out.

"Now Lola! Use DragonBreath!" I commanded.

"What!?" Cheran cried as Lola tilted her head back, throwing it forward as a stream of pink fire erupted from her mouth. Lillipup was too close to try and dodge, and felt the full fury of Lola's DragonBreath. I couldn't help but cheer as her attack completely engulfed Lillipup, and I was still very happy even when her attack puttered out and the Lillipup remained standing. I was happy because even though Lillipup was still up, I could see yellow streaks crackling on its body. Lillipup was paralyzed.

"Okay Lola, let's finish this with Headbutt!" I commanded. Lola roared as she charged at Lillipup, who was unable to move when she collided with it. With all her power, Lola threw Lillipup all the way across the field, crashing into the support beam of the high rise Cheran stood on and slowly slide down. Lola panted in exhaustion as Lillipup struggled to stand. Damn! How much could this thing take? Lola can't keep up forever! But then Lillipup went down with a soft whimper, and Clyde raised his flags.

"Lillipup is unable to battle, Deino wins! The victory goes to the challenger Vixen!" He said as the kids reacted. Some cried out in joy at seeing Lola win, while others were disappointed that Lillipup lost. I myself was proud as I ran onto the field, tackling my tired little Deino and hugging her tightly.

"We did it we did it we did it! Thanks so much Lola! It's all thanks to you! We won our first badge!" I cried. Lola herself was happy as she licked my cheek. She won two battles in a row and learned a brand new attack in the process. Cheran seemed happy as well as he recalled Lillipup and strode over to us, clapping slowly.

"Well done, Vixen and Lola. You two really HAVE come a long way since I last saw you. You two have grown so much in such a short time, and so it is with great pleasure that I present to you the Basic Badge." He said as he held out the badge. It looked like the spine of a book. Fitting for a teacher. I grabbed the maroon pendent and stared at it with pride while Lola nosed my hand, wanting to see it too. I smiled as I grabbed Sorrel's pokeball with my other hand, letting him out of it. He was still tired, but conscious.

"Look Sorrel, Lola. Our first badge, and I couldn't have done it without either of you. Even you helped Sorrel. Bide only works if the pokemon takes damage, and since it took enough damage to take you out it was easy for Lola to take it down and bring out the next one." I said, reassuring my Quilava. He gave a small sigh as though he were still upset with himself about losing, but like me he forgot his sorrow quickly as I lowered the badge until he could see it. Sorrel plucked the little pendent out of my hand with his paws as he held it closer, as though reading some sort of secret on it. Sorrel then smiled as he handed it off to Lola, who nosed the badge and then gently took it into her mouth. As the bottom half of the badge stuck out of her mouth Lola smiled softly, feeling the weight of her accomplishment as she stuck her neck out, dropping the badge back into my hand with a soft chirp. I smiled and petted them both as I stuck the badge in my pocket. I`d have to find a better place to put it. Cheran smiled at me and put his hand on my shoulder while the kids gathered around us.

"You're all done here Vixen. You don't need me or your mother or Aspertia anymore. You need to leave, for good this time. You have proven to me that you are smart enough and strong enough to be on your own, and your bond with Lola is so incredible, we can rest easy knowing that you will be safe. Virbank city is the next closest gym. I think you can handle Roxie, but be careful, she uses poison types." He said as a little girl approached us. She tugged on my coat and I looked at her curiously as she held out pink berries.

"I was doing my homework during the start of the battle, because I didn't think you could win against Mister Teacher. I stopped when your Deino beat Patrat. She's really cool! I`m sorry for not believing in you. Take these as my apowogy. They are Pecha Berries. They make pokemon all better when they get poisoned." She said as she kept her hands extended. I smiled as I took the berries, putting them in my bag. I put my hand on the little girl's head and chuckled at her.

"Thanks so much! These will really come in handy." I told her. She beamed at me as she rejoined her class, and with one last smile Cheran nodded at me and walked to the children. There was nothing more to be said. Looking down at Lola and Sorrel, I grinned at them and recalled them back into their pokeballs, making my way out of the gym and to the pokemon center.

TBC

And there we go. Now the story has caught up to where I am in the game. God this was a long chapter. I'm sorry XD. I hope it was worth it though. And yes, my Cyndaquil DID evolve before the gym battle. And he actually beat both of Cheran's pokemon without a sweat. I decided to tweak the story a bit though to make it more exciting and down-to-the-wire. Also, I made a huge mistake in the previous chapters. The routes in black 2 and white 2 are numbered weird and it's actually Route 19 that connects Aspertia to Floccesy, not 20. I caught it only when I visited Bulbapedia to look up the wild pokemon. By the way, if you guys go to Bulbapedia and Google tries to stop you, just tell Google to go kick a Gyarados. A rogue ad is making a lot of pokemon sites go batshit, since images are shared among the pokemon information sites. You can proceed to Bulbapedia safely without the threat of a virus hitting you.

And yes, I know there were quite a few typos throughout the chapter. I think my favorite one was ""Alright then. Here I come Vixen. Show me how far you've come." He said, throwing his pokeball. A **_patriot_** emerged from it, and I was slightly disappointed.". I died when I read that part XD. But yeah, feel free to point out the typos when you see them, but don't let it take you away from the story. It's still pretty good even though my grammar is crap XD.

Onto the next chapter, as soon as I get more done in Black 2. This story only loosely follows the plot of Black 2, so I don't know how much we'll see Team Plasma, if at all. Only time will tell, ne?


	7. Chapter 6: Dress for Success

While Lola and Sorrel rested in their pokeballs, recovering slowly but surely as the healing waves from Nurse Joy's machine bombarded their containers, I decided to stop by the pokemart next door. It was hard to believe you could fit an entire hospital and a fully stocked store in the same building, but then with pokemon, anything is possible I suppose. I browsed through the shelves, looking at some of the amazing things they had.

There were tools all trainers could ever hope to want! There were pokeballs of all shapes and colors, medicines of varying prescription strength, and all kinds of escape tools for when one gets in a little over their heads. Of course, a lot of these had a special lock on them, preventing novice trainers like me from accessing the really powerful stuff without a number of badges. But there were things even a newbie like me could buy, including something that made me smile. It was a coat rack that was loaded with all kinds of merchandise meant for tourists. There were bandanas with varying pokemon on them as well as baseball caps in many colors. One arm that particularly intrigued me held something more in MY tastes. Lanyards. Trainer lanyards, with small, magnetic buttons on the end for pokeballs.

I started browsing through the arm, looking for a lanyard that fit my taste. There was one that was a very beautiful purple, my favorite shade of purple, but it didn't seem to fit. As I held the lanyard I thought very carefully about what would be best for me. Looking back on the rack I saw it. It was PERFECT. I put the pretty purple lanyard back I grabbed the one that I found. It was black and blue, just like Lola, and the colors were swirled around on the string, almost like tie-dye. I smiled as I put the lanyard around my neck, and it fit perfectly. I fished out my Basic Badge and looked at it thoughtfully before I attached it to the lanyard. I couldn't wait to pay for it and show it to Lola. With a smile I continued to browse.

As I neared the back of the store, my eyes widened. In the back of the store was a Master Prep Shop. I ran to the window and put my hands on the glass, looking at the gear inside. There were clothes meant for the outdoors trainers. They looked like normal outfits, but they were built to withstand the harshness of the outdoors. They would keep me warm in snow, keep me cool in scorching deserts, they would dry out quickly even if a Wailord used Hydro Pump on the wearer. They will not tear even if a Bisharp tried to slice you.

On racks beside the clothes, there were the pro-grade trainer bags. These bags were made in Sinnoh by trainers who studied Palkia. The geniuses who made these bags imbued the insides with technology mimicking the power of the Lord of Space, allowing the bags to hold an infinite number of items. An entire house could be stored if it could fit through the opening of the bag.

Behind the clothes and the bags were camping supplies for trainers who wished to be comfortable. Large tents and sleeping bags, not to mention cookware and food storage devices. It was all I could do not to drool on the glass. But then I remembered that I was all but completely poor. Cheran was very generous in distributing the prize money, maybe even too generous since he liked me, but it wasn't enough to buy all of that expensive stuff AND feed three hungry mouths. I sighed as I dropped my head down and turned away, getting ready to pay for my lanyard and get my pokemon, when I bumped into something, or someone.

"Ow." I yelped, stepping back and rubbing my nose. I looked up to see what idiot decided to block me and found myself face to face with the lord of darkness himself. My jaw hit the floor as I stared at the polite and proper Grimsley of the Unova Elite 4, his Bisharp behind him at attention. His scarf moved like water as he walked to me with a deadly smile.

"I am very sorry, are you alright?" He asked me as he got closer. I gulped as I pressed my back against the glass, nervous to be in the presence of such a powerful person.

"I should be the one apologizing! I ran into you, I`m incredibly sorry!" I yelped frantically. Grimsley chuckled and shook his head, crossing his arms.

"Now now, it's quite alright. You seem to be down on your luck, my dear. Allow me to help." He said as he opened the door into the Master Prep Shop. I was too shocked to move, so with a wave of his hand Grimsley continued into the shop while his Bisharp followed, pushing me in after its master. Grimsley began to browse through the racks of clothes while Bisharp pushed me forward until I was right next to its master.

"Uh…sir?" I asked. Grimsley took a glance at me and smiled before he turned back to the clothes, putting something back and spinning the rack, looking for something else.

"Your name, young trainer?" He asked me in that smooth voice of his. I blinked for a moment as I forgot what to say. Luckily it came back to me before too long.

"Uh, Vixen?" I said with uncertainty. Grimsley maintained his smile as he browsed the racks, pulling something out.

"Do you like this Vixen? I happen to think it would suit you and enhance your features perfectly, but your input is more important than mine on this." He said, handing me the outfit. The shirt was a deep blue, like the ocean while the long pants shone despite being pure black. The accompanying jacket was a royal purple, again my favorite shade. I blinked at the outfit, realizing that if I put it on, I'd be a human Deino. But how did he know about Lola? Was he watching me? What was he planning?

"Uh, yes actually. It's beautiful." I told him. He smiled as he put the outfit in my arms, looking at the bags behind us. He grabbed his chin in his thumb and forefinger and made a sound of thoughtfulness.

"Hmm, I really don't know where to go with this. What do you think? Pick one." He told me. I blinked for a moment before going to the bags, looking through them. They had many designs and colors, but one that stuck out to me was this silvery single-strap bag. It was the kind of bag you slung over your shoulder so that the bag sat on your back at an angle from the top of your shoulder blade to the top of your hip. On either side of the zipper going down the bag were two clips where you could put your own patches in, and I suddenly wanted to put the patches for Dragon and Dark on it. I picked up the bag and smiled at it, grabbing the circular patches I desired from a dish on top of the rack and inserting them into the slots. I looked at Grimsley and he nodded in approval.

"Couldn't have chosen better myself. Now go, into the dressing room with you." He said as his Bisharp pushed me before I had a chance to protest. Not wanting to anger such a powerful person, I decided to humor him and I changed out of my old, dirty clothes. I put on the outfit Grimsley had picked for me and instantly fell in love with the clothes. I almost felt naked they fit so naturally. Looking at the bag, I slipped that on myself over the jacket, and it, too, felt perfect. Looking at my old clothes and bag in the floor, I smiled as I moved them on the bench of the dressing room, intending to come back. I opened the door and exited out of the cubicle to a waiting Grimsley and Bisharp, and I blushed while I bowed to them.

"H-how do I look?" I asked. Grimsley smiled in approval while Bisharp nodded in agreement.

"Perfect. You look like a real trainer now. Tell me, Vixen, do you like to gamble?" He asked me. I blinked at the question as I thought it over. Well, I sort of AM a gamble. I'm small, though determined to prove to everyone that I'm more than what I seem. My Deino was like that too, so I knew how to answer Grimsley.

"Yes I do sir." I declared. He smiled at me as though expecting my answer.

"Then let me make you a wager. I will pay for your outfit and bag, as well as any other purchases you wish to make in this store. I want you to continue your quest as a pokemon trainer, but I want you to think about why you are doing it. I want you to look at the cards you hold and determine their value. Do you think you are the best despite what people may say? Are you going on this journey to impress others, or to better yourself? WHY are you a pokemon trainer? When you face me in the Pokemon League, I want you to answer me. And I want the truth, as though you were speaking to Reshiram itself. If you lie to me, or do not impress me with your answer, I want you to pay me back all the money I will spend on you today in full, plus interest." He told me with a serious look in his eyes. He held out his hand while he continued to stare me down, and I was still shocked. But as I thought about his words I realized that maybe, just maybe, there was something more to this than a bet. I reached out and grasped his hand as well.

"I agree Grimsley, but I want to add my own bit to your wager." I declare, much to his surprise.

"Oh?" He asked me, not expecting such a fiery comeback.

"Yes. If I fail my end of the wager, then you are to take my Deino from me and raise her until I can fulfill my end. If I cannot be honest nor noble, then I do not deserve a pokemon like her." I told him. He stared at me as he considered my add-on, but then turned the corners of his mouth down as though impressed.

"Very well. Then let's get you some supplies so that you can be on your way. I look forward to the day we face each other." He told me with a smile. I smiled back as I retrieved my bag and old clothes, browsing the prep shop with Grimsley to pick out what supplies I would need.

Yes, I did just wager custody of my best friend. But I meant what I said when I did so. Lola was a pokemon of pride, determination, and honesty. She wants to be strong not to hurt others or be the best, but to prove to herself that she could be. Grimsley wants me to be the same as my pokemon, and if I cannot do that, if I decide to be strong just to prove others are weak like Cory, then I have no right to a pokemon so pure as Lola. Being a master of the dark type, Grimsley would take care of Lola and help her get strong if I failed to be the kind of trainer she needs.

So as it turns out, Grimsley is very picky. Every time I picked something up, he would make me put it down and look elsewhere. It got annoying after awhile, but he was one of the best in the region. He knew best, so I was willing to put up with his bullshit. Though it took FOREVER. But finally, we had picked out a tent, a sleeping bag, and some cooking tools for me. I'd have to buy food myself, but I was set. We went up to the counter and, true to his word, Grimsley paid for everything. Even the lanyard. We exited out of the store to find Lola and Sorrel waiting patiently for me. I smiled at them and bent down to hug the two pokemon, who were confused by my appearance *of in Lola's case, smell* at first, but were happy to see me nonetheless. I turned to Grimsley once more, who gave me a warm smile as he bid me farewell and left without another word. I looked down at the shiny badge on my lanyard, and I smiled as I took Lola's pokeball from her mouth and clasped it on the magnet at the bottom of the lanyard. Sorrel gave me his pokeball as well, which went on my new belt.

"Well guys, I've got a bet to settle. How about you help me pack my new bag, and then we'll go stock up on food and head out to Virbank?" I asked. Sorrel and Lola yipped in agreement as they started to unpack my old bag. Lola reached in and pulled things out to hand off to Sorrel, who handed them to me to put in my new bag. It did not take long to repack for the journey, and I decided to keep my old clothes and my old bag since the new one was infinite. I stood up from the floor and looked at my pokemon with pride. Mom, Cheran, Bianca, Alder, Grimsley, they all believed in me. I was never one to disappoint anyone, and I am not going to start now. As I recalled Sorrel and ran out of the pokemon center with Lola running beside me, we set out on the road once more, ready to get the next badge, the next piece of our destiny. No matter what stands in the way, Lola and I will face it together. Wait for me Grimsley, Lola and I will have an answer for you soon!

TBC

A filler chapter, but an important one. 7 will be out soon, but I needed to get a description chapter out before I got too far so that you guys have a more clear view on what Vixen looks like. Until next time!


	8. Chapter 7: Affinities and New Friends

So. It has come to this. I stood on the border between Floccesy town and Route 20. Once I took my first step, there would be no going back. All of the masters had done their best to prepare me for this. Lola stood beside me loyally, waiting for me to lead her. I smiled as I looked at her staring ahead, and I put my hand alongside her horn, fingering the fluffy down. I had told Grimsley that if I failed to meet his expectations, then Lola and I could not be together, for I would have failed her. But I was confident that nothing of the sort would happen. It would be a long time before I faced Grimsley at the League, and he didn't exactly set a deadline. There was plenty of time for me to think about what this journey and Lola meant to me.

"Ready to go Lola?" I asked her. The small dragon looked up and smiled at me, nodding. Looking back at the road, I took a step. And then another. And another. Lola and I were on our way. I gave a small sigh in relief and felt a lot better, but then I heard it.

"Still pretending to be a pokemon trainer? Or would you rather be a pokemon instead? You look like that sorry excuse for a Deino next to you." Said Cory as he stalked behind me. I grew irritated, but this time Lola was ready, and she butted my hip to help me stay calm. I took a deep breath and continued to walk, Lola faithfully following.

"Hey I wasn't done with you!" Cory said, running up to me. Lola growled at him, warning him to stay back, and I stopped and crossed my arms.

"Well I`m done with you." I said simply. Lola and I continued to walk, and Cory stepped in front of us. I stopped again and glared at Cory. As I took him in I could already get a sense of what I would say to Grimsley.

"Back in Floccesy, when Alder had you challenge me. You did not win that fight." I told him as Cory narrowed his eyes at me.

"Of course I did. Wotter sent that miserable pile of scales and fur flying and it tripped. We totally won that battle." He said with a snort. I scoffed at his attitude.

"Are you really that stupid? Lola didn't trip, she LET Wotter hit her. If she had actually gone at Wotter with full power, he or she would have been seriously hurt. I TOLD you that Wotter was too tired to keep going, but you pushed your Oshawott anyway. And for what? To make sure I didn't win? Why are you so obsessed with me losing?" I asked him. Cory was visibly shaking with rage. I saw something rustle in the bushes to the left, but I ignored it to concentrate on Cory as slowly, he realized I was right. He KNEW I was telling the truth.

"Because you are weak. You have ALWAYS been weak. You always WILL. Even if what you said is true, and you would have won if your Deino actually connected that Tackle, why do you care? Wotter is MY pokemon! He is your ENEMY." He shouted.

"Those aren't the same thing. You and I both know that you only took Wotter to try and keep me stuck at home. He has nothing to do with our quarrel. The problem I have is with YOU, not your pokemon. Now if you`ll excuse me, I have another badge to win." I said, shining my Basic Badge at him. I wasn't going to let Cory get the best of me this time. I had some training to do. Cory scoffed as he strode over to me, grabbing my lanyard to look at my badge closely.

"WHAT?! You got a badge?! No way it can't be real!" He said as he pulled. I gritted my teeth and prepared to slug him, but Lola beat me to it.

"Deino!" She cried as she latched onto his leg, sinking her tiny teeth into him. Cory howled in pain and jumped back, trying to dislodge the Deino. He proceeded to punch her in the head, but after everything she went through today a weak little punch from a human wasn't going to faze her. I couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Soon though, it had to end.

"Alright I`m safe Lola. Let him go, he's not worth it." I told her. Lola let go of Cory's leg and padded back to me, obviously pleased with herself. Cory glared at me and said nothing as he limped away, and I gave Lola a soft pat on the head and then turned to where I heard the rustling before.

"So, how much did you see?" I asked. As I thought, Grimsley appeared out of the bushes, followed by a Liepard.

"I saw every bit from the moment he called out to you. I was about to send Liepard out to separate you, but your Deino was faster. I must say, I am quite impressed. Both by your Deino's love and your cool head even though he was about to assault you. Alder was onto something when he told me about a promising dark-type trainer, I knew it from the moment I saw your battle with the Aspertia Gym Leader." He said. I blinked at his words for a moment. So THAT is why he had taken such a shine to me. Alder had told him about me. I would tell you how it felt, to be recognized by a former champion AND a member of the Elite 4 enough to garner their support, but I'm afraid I don't have the words to describe this. Neither shocking nor astounding even begin to cover it.

"But wait, dark type trainer? I don't specialize in dark types, Sorrel is a Quilava, which is a fire type pokemon." I explained. Grimsley smiled at me as he walked up, patting me on the shoulder.

"And Cheren has a Liepard, a Simisage, a Gigalith, a Haxorus, and an Emboar, yet he is a Normal type gym leader. And I myself befriended a Swanna that likes to visit my room in the Pokemon League from time to time. Just because one specializes in a certain type, doesn't mean they can't appreciate others. You have a natural affinity for the dark type, and maybe even the dragon type too, though I understand you have yet to actually encounter another dragon other than Deino." he said. I looked at Lola and smiled as I realized, he was right. That would explain why the Purrloin of Route 19 not only spared me from their thievery, but shared the fruits of their labor as well. And why Lola was so attracted to me, and her fellow Deino so eager to help me. Even now I could feel Grimsley's Liepard rubbing itself against my legs, purring with great intensity. I couldn't help but lean over and scratch its ear, much to the pokemon's appreciation. I looked up at Grimsley, looking for guidance.

"So, what now? Am I supposed to come with you to the pokemon league and learn about this strange power over dark types I seemingly have?" I asked him. Grimsley chuckled and looked into the deeper part of the route.

"Come with me." He said. I stood up straighter and followed him, Lola and Liepard close behind. We came up to a little clearing, and I saw Cory chasing a little brown blur around. I quickly pulled out my pokedex and tried to get a clear shot.

"_Zorua, the Tricky Fox Pokemon. They use powerful illusions to protect themselves from harm, though they prefer using these illusions to play tricks on others._" The pokedex said. But there was something odd. When the Zorua stopped he looked vastly different from the one in the entry. The Zorua in the pokedex had varying shades of bluish-gray in its fur, with splotches of red over its eyes and on the tuft on its head. But this Zorua's fur was painted a sort of dark gold, with blue spots over its eyes and a blue tuft. Looking to Grimsley, he pointed his head at the scene, gesturing me to go forward. I took a deep breath and left the safety of the Elite 4 member and our hiding place, walking up to Cory and Wotter, who were having a tough time with the Zorua.

"What are you doing Cory?" I asked. The boy looked at me with murderous intent, and he was practically foaming at the mouth, though unwilling to get too close with Lola near me.

"Back off bitch, that shiny Zorua is mine!" He cried. I rolled my eyes at the scene but stayed away while Wotter kept charging at the Zorua, who leapt away each and every time. I crossed my arms as I watched the scene unfold, becoming less impressed by the minute. I looked in the direction of the bushes to see if Grimsley wanted me to do anything, but he either left or hid well, for I could not find him. I would have to do this on my own. I looked at the Zorua and felt sorry for it.

"Zorua, just run away. That Oshawott is the only pokemon he has and it still hasn't been fully trained." I told it. Instead of obeying me though, Zorua ran over to me and Lola and did a flip in midair, transforming into Lola. It ran towards the Deino and spun around with her, the two of them standing in front of me while looking in Cory's direction. Cory just glared at me more and snorted, recalling his pokemon.

"Shiny pokemon are stupid anyway. I don't need one." He said, slinking away. As soon as he left, Zorua returned to its normal form and I sat down, looking at it.

"Why didn't you listen to me when I said run away?" I asked it. Zorua merely snickered as it trotted over to me, rubbing its head on my knee.

"Because having a Type Affinity doesn't give you complete control over that pokemon." I heard Grimsley say as he made his way out of the bushes, his Liepard following him. It sat down and whipped its tail around while he walked to where Lola, Zorua and I were and sat down in front of me, stretching his hand out towards the Zorua and jumped into his lap.

"I must have gotten confused, didn't you tell me that I could control dark types, and possibly dragon?" I asked. Grimsley shook his head as he petted Zorua.

"I had a feeling you interpreted it that way. That is NOT what I said. Having a Type Affinity means you are able to COMMUNICATE better to that type than to any other pokemon. There are two reasons why I sent you here to find this Zorua." He said. I tilted my head at the man.

"To keep Cory from catching a pokemon just because it was rare?" I asked. Grimsley stared at me for several minutes before he answered.

"Okay three. The first reason, it was so that I could confirm if you indeed had a dark-type affinity. I have only ever seen you around your Deino, which already loves you, and my pokemon, who love pretty much everyone. A wild dark type was the best way for me to confirm it. Second, some lessons are best learned by experience. Instead of outright telling you what having a Type Affinity means, I thought it was best if you discovered it for yourself." He said as he petted the Zorua. I was amazed by the interaction, and if I didn't know any better, I would have said that Zorua WAS his pokemon. I looked at Lola and wondered something, turning back to Grimsley.

"You said earlier that you think I COULD have an affinity for dragon types too. So, you can have more than one?" I asked. Grimsley smiled as he leaned forward.

"It's uncommon, but it happens. Having a dual-affinity does not weaken having an affinity at all anymore than being duel typed hurts the pokemon that have it. If anything, it makes your connection with pokemon stronger if they have the same type combination as your affinity. That's why I'm curious about you and Lola." He said. I looked at Lola with questioning eyes. Did she like me only because I appealed to both of her types? It was like Grimsley read my mind, for he chuckled heartily.

"Again, affinities don't FORCE pokemon to like you or obey you. We learned that with our little friend here. Affinities simply makes talking to our respective types easier. Those who refine their affinity to communicate directly with their pokemon claim to have psychic powers, but it's all a matter of wanting to understand and be understood." He told me. My eyes widened as I took in his words.

"Wait, so, I could TALK to Lola, and hear her talk back like we're speaking the same language? How?" I asked him. Grimsley grinned at me as he lightly pushed Zorua out of his lap, standing up.

"I wish I knew. What I would give to be able to talk to my pokemon. The conversations would carry on for hours. You`ll have to figure it out for yourself, but don't hurt yourself." He said, looking at me with a grin.

"Even though I can't understand them, I love my pokemon. They are my closest friends. When your friendship with someone goes that deep, you don't need words to communicate. I`m sure you have discovered this by now, miss 'I'll-throw-match-without-telling-my-pokemon'. Or would you prefer miss 'let-the-Lillipup-get-close-to-burn'?" He asked me, making me grin sheepishly. Those battles were indeed weird. I didn't want to say anything and risk letting my opponents find out my plans, but I didn't have to because both times, Lola had come through and knew what I wanted without so much as anything more than her name. I looked down at the shiny Zorua as it looked back up at me with a warm smile, and it seemed like ages as we stared each other down. It must have been quite awhile since Grimsley cleared his throat.

"Um, what are you waiting for?" He asked. I looked up to see his worried and slightly annoyed face.

"What?" I asked. He rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms, waving one at me and Zorua.

"Aren't you going to catch him?" He asked. I looked back down at Zorua, who gave me a proud grin, and I returned it, moving to the edge of the clearing where Grimsley was.

"Not without a fight." I replied to the dark type master. He smiled in approval at me while Lola dug her feet into the ground, ready to go.

"Headbutt!" I cried. Lola ran forward towards Zorua, who dodged just before her attack could connect, and he raked his tiny claws against her side, lightly grazing her scar. Lola growled as she turned around to face him, biting his fluffy tail and throwing him skyward.

"Dragonbreath!" I commanded, her unexpected move creating an opening for me. She spit her attack skyward as it engulfed Zorua while he fell. He cried out a little bit from the pain of the attack, and Lola stopped and allowed him to fall. Zorua picked himself up from the attack, wobbly, and he looked at me with a proud glint in his eyes before falling on his side. I grabbed a pokeball from my bag and quickly expanded it, tossing it at Zorua. The button hit him on the nose and a beam of light pulled him into the ball. Landing on the ground with a soft thud, the pokeball shook once, twice, three times before ringing my successful capture. I smiled as Lola padded over to the pokeball, picking it up and bringing it back to me as though she were a Growlithe playing fetch. I grabbed the pokeball and stared at it, realizing the full weight of my capture. Zorua in and of themselves were hard to come by. But a SHINY Zorua? Things were definitely looking up for me. Grimsley cleared his throat to get my attention, and I looked at him with a big, goofy grin.

"So earlier you asked me if you were supposed to come with me. I think you now see the answer. While it is indeed important for an apprentice to be close to the master to learn, it is far more important that the apprentice gets experience and carves their own path. I will be nearby to provide aid when you need it, but for the most part you are on your own. Well, not completely. After all, you have your pokemon. Take care of that Zorua. You have no idea what people are capable of when they are desperate." He said as he and Liepard walked off, disappearing in the brush once more. I just stood there, blinking stupidly like an idiot.

"Wait, when did I become your apprentice?" I asked Grimsley though he was no longer there. I looked down at Lola as though she had the answers, but she just shrugged, not understanding it anymore than I was.

"Dei?" She asked me. I just sighed as I put my new pokemon's ball on my belt and began walking towards Virbank city.

"I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse that Grimsley wants to teach me. He's so odd and creepy sometimes." I said to Lola as we walked.

"Shauntel is even worse! Consider yourself lucky!" I heard Grimsley yell out. Lola and I did our best to stifle our giggles as we continued on our way, thinking about our upcoming gym battle.

TBC

The Type Affinity that Grimsley talked about, I won't go overboard on that. It's not some mystical power that only a few people have that I Deux Ex Machina'd the hell out of. In the world of this fanfic, everyone has an Affinity for a certain type, and some people have two. In Vixen's case, she has a Dark Type Affinity, and quite possibly Dragon. All Affinities do, as Grimsley said, is make it easier to interact with pokemon whose type match your Affinity. Some people can refine their Affinity to actually talk WITH pokemon, but there is no guideline on how to do that. Very few people can refine their Affinity like that and it's usually just with Psychic pokemon. Will Vixen and Lola ever talk to each other on the same level to carry coherent conversations? Who knows? All I know is that I love writing this story.

Yep. I caught a shiny Zorua. Though he was hacked into Black 2. I figured out how to make the Shiny code work with the Encounter code. See, after you activate the encounter code and get the pokemon showing up in the wild, you will literally find NOTHING but that pokemon in the grass until you change locations. Even if you turn off the code. So all you have to do is use the Encounter code, walk around in the grass until you get the pokemon you were wanting to encounter, and then after you get out of the battle, turn OFF the Encounter code, turn ON the Shiny code, and hold select while you walk/run in the grass, and don't let go until the pokemon appears. Voila. Wild shiny Pokemon. You can use it on interact-able pokemon too, like Zekrom and Reshiram or Cresselia or the Musketeers. As long as you are holding Select after you interact, before you get into battle.

But turn off the Shiny code when you don't need it. It will make it impossible to withdraw any pokemon from your PC and you won't be able to start a new game. The game will just freeze.

Onto badge 2!


	9. Chapter 8: The Hero of Truth

As I got into Virbank city, I was once again brought under the spell of music. I swayed gently to the calm, gentle sounds as Grimsley appeared beside me, ushering me forward. Sauntering forward with Lola beside me, I followed Grimsley to the center of town, where there was a large, makeshift stage.

"I know what song they will play next, you should listen." He said as he pointed to the stage. On it were several people and pokemon, and while the bald drummer and the skinny bass player in the back of the stage began the tempo, the white-haired girl in front strummed away on her guitar with a Koffing beside her as a tall, brown-haired girl stood on the other side of the guitarist, standing proud with a long, green serpent pokemon that I recognized as a member of the Snivy family. I closed my eyes and listened as the brown-haired girl began to sing with the guitarist while the green pokemon danced.

"_You can reach, for the stars_

_And know that in your heart_

_You have the strength, deep inside._

_Let it be your guide!_

_You can fly past the moon_

_And race all afternoon_

_Don't be afraid, to make a choice!_

_Raise your voice!_

_Just follow your star!_

_Spread your wings and be free!_

_Wherever you are, is right where you should be._

_So listen to your heart_

_And believe in what you dream!_

_And follow_

_Follow your star. _" As they sang, I realized why Grimsley wanted me to listen to this song. It reminded me so much of what Lola and I are trying to accomplish. I felt tears poking out of my eyes as they continued to sing.

"_There's a time, when you know_

_How to find your destiny._

_And with each turn, in the road_

_It's clear for you to see._

_So push, through the days_

_Don't let your spirit fade!_

_Throw away, all your doubts!_

_Ohhh sing out loud!_

_Just follow your star!_

_Spread your wings and be free!_

_Wherever you are, is right where you should be._

_So listen to your heart_

_And believe in what you dream!_

_And follow_

_Follow your star. " _ I had nothing to say, no thoughts aside from how RIGHT it felt to listen to these girls and watch their pokemon dance to the voices of their trainers.

"_Just follow your Star_

_Spread your wings, and be free!_

_Where-ever you are_

_Is right where you should be!_

_So listen to your heart_

_And believe in what you dream!_

_And follow_

_Follow your star!_

_Follow your star!_

_Follow your star!_

_Follow your star!" _They sang as the instrumentalists finished the chorus. The brown-haired girl began to dance with her green pokemon and I couldn't help but pick up Lola and hug her as I swayed to the music. I don't think I had lost my way on my journey, but I don't think I ever would now.

"I wonder if they have a CD I can buy." I wondered out loud to Grimsley's amusement.

"We do, but it'd be more convenient to get an MP3 player and buy the file. Less of a hassle to set up." Said a female voice. I turned to see the brown-haired girl who was singing approach us, her pokemon slithering up beside her. I set Lola down and whipped out my pokedex to scan it.

"_Serperior, the Regal Pokemon, and the final evolution of Snivy. Serperior are proud and will almost always fight with their heads held high unless fighting an opponent they recognize as strong._" It said. I stared at Serperior as it did just as the pokedex said, holding itself in high regard. Its trainer smiled as she stroked its chin.

"The pokedex is pretty generic. Sneer isn't actually that arrogant. She's actually very sweet." Said the woman as she grabbed my hand, holding it out to her pokemon. Sneer gave a smile before lowering her head to rub the palm of my hand against the top of her head. I couldn't help but smile at the slightly scaly skin and gave her a pat before letting my hand fall. Grimsley cleared his throat as he dipped his head towards the girl.

"So Carina. What brings you here?" He asked. The girl smiled as she raised her arms over her head, the golden wristbands gleaming in the sun while she stretched. Lowering her arms back down and crossing them over her sleeveless green turtleneck, just below a white neckpiece with a master ball in the center as she regarded him with scarlet eyes.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. I don't recall you ever leaving your chamber." She said with a suspicious tone as Sneer slowly got between me and Grimsley. Grimsley only smiled as he shrugged.

"Right you are, my dear. Alder asked me to come out. See, he had encountered a trainer he particularly liked and asked me to come oversee her progress since she and I share a Dark Affinity." He said, perfectly relaxed. Carina sighed as Sneer returned to her side, coiling around her until Carina was sitting on the serpent, supported by Sneer's coils. I silently mouthed wow at Grimsley before dipping my head in respect. Even though they were strong, most pokemon don't like being ridden, and one as proud as a Serperior would not put up with that shit. Carina was definitely someone to respect.

"Alright then, in that case, I decided to come back from my travels and hang out with an old friend of mine. No one can rock like Roxie can." She said as the white-haired girl from before walked up, her Koffing floating beside her. Grimsley cleared his throat as he brought his hand towards the two women.

"Allow me to introduce Virbank City Gym Leader Roxie, and the Hero of Truth Carina." He said with a grin. Lola and I could feel our jaws hit the floor in astonishment.

"I`m sorry, what? Di-did you just say the Hero of Truth? As in, the trainer who was chosen by Reshiram to stop Team Plasma from taking over Unova?" I asked in a shocked tone. Carina grinned as she nodded at me, pointing to the master ball on her neck.

"Would you like to say hello?" She asked. I'm sorry, but I could not keep it together. I fainted right there. As my consciousness faded, I could hear Grimsley call my name and Lola cry out in alarm while something long caught me. I heard a roar that reminded me of a bell, but didn't have the chance to think of it as everything went dark.

"N. Ixen. Vixen! Vixen wake up! Vixen!"

"Spark, do it again!"

_'Actually, I think she's waking up, hold on.' _Said a voice I did not recognize. I must have hit my head, because I didn't actually HEAR the voice so much as I KNEW it, if that makes any sense. I cracked my eyes open and was greeted by a pair of sapphire eyes sitting in a pool of black. Their owner's white, fluffy face staring intently at me. I groaned as I sat up, Sneer supporting me while Lola butted my hand in worry. With a shake of my head, I looked up again at the white, dog-like dragon, who smiled warmly at me. Blinking stupidly, I held up my pokedex and scanned it.

"_Reshiram, the Vast White pokemon. Reshiram is said to hold truth in high regard, and will use its scorching fire to assist all who pursue it._" Said the pokedex as Reshiram smiled at me.

'_Hello.'_ It said in an oddly feminine voice. I blinked as I raised a hand in greeting.

"Hi…" I replied. I reached out to the large white dragon, who seemed amused but willing as it lowered its head, allowing me to stroke the soft fur on its nose. Looking around I saw Carina and Grimsley looking at me with worry, a Galvantula perched on Carina's back looking over her head. Beside them Roxie had her arms crossed and a grin plastered to her face while a crowd gather around us. Looking up I saw Sneer looking down at me as though assessing my condition. With a gulp I stood up, not wanting to impose myself on the snake, and shakily stayed on my feet. Lola came to my side and butted my hand, allowing me to grip her horn tightly and use her for support. I gave the horn a grateful squeeze as I looked back up at Reshiram and dipped my head in respect.

"It's an honor to meet you, creator of Unova. Thanks so much for protecting my home during Team Plasma's assault." I said to it. Reshiram opened its mouth and released that bell-like roar, though it sounded strangled and uneven. I was scared and afraid that it was sick, until I realized, it wasn't hurt. It was laughing. Reshiram was laughing at me. I blinked in confusion for a moment before Reshiram bent down, its laughter subsiding.

'_Now now, I did not create Unova, nor save it from Team Plasma. My chosen Heroes did that. You don't need to be so formal with me. I may be a legendary pokemon but I am still just a pokemon._' It told me with another smile. I smiled back, much to Reshiram's approval as it nosed me, knocking me back a little bit. Lola kept me standing though, planting her tiny claws firmly into the ground so that I didn't fall over. Still overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of Reshiram, I looked back to Carina, Grimsley and Roxie and suddenly remembered why I was here. I cleared my throat and walked over to them, helped by Lola while Reshiram and Sneer watched. I let go of Lola and stood in front of Roxie, who was surprisingly small. About as small as I was.

"I came to challenge you to a Gym Battle." I told her. Roxie smirked as she whipped her guitar out from behind her back, giving it a big strum that made it produce a loud note that echoed for miles.

"I thought you'd never ask. Let's rock and roll!" She said, strumming her guitar again. Carina rolled her eyes as she recalled her Galvantula.

"Why don't we give her a chance to recover first. The poor thing is barely able to stand. If you think for one second that even if she was able to concentrate on the battle, her pokemon would too, then you are out of your music-loving mind." She said, clocking Roxie on the back of the head. The gym leader hissed in pain as she rubbed her head while Carina scolded her. Grimsley appeared at my side and put his hand on my shoulder, giving me a warm smile as Reshiram approached.

'_Why don't you take her to the pokemon center? I'm sure she and her pokemon would appreciate a good rest and some warm up training before taking on Roxie._' It said with a smile. Grimsley nodded as he released his Bisharp, which scooped me up in its arms and followed diligently behind Grimsley as he made his way to the pokemon center, ignoring the bickering women behind him. I fumbled with my lanyard for a moment before plucking Lola's pokeball, expanding it and pointed it towards Lola from over Bisharp's shoulder. As she was recalled into the ball, I reattached it to my lanyard and relaxed in Bisharp's arms, grateful to it since my head was still swimming. The three of us were silent as Grimsley and Bisharp walked the streets, ignoring the stares directed at them which I could only guess came from their fame. As we neared the pokemon center, Grimsley fell in step until he was right next to us. I looked at him tiredly from Bisharp's arms, and he gave me a warm smile.

"Quite a day you're having, huh?" He asked, a small bit of sarcasm leaking into his voice. I smiled at him as I gave Bisharp a pat on the shoulder. It gave no indication on whether it liked the action or not, so I stopped and leaned my head into it instead.

"I`ll say. Meeting a member of the Elite 4, The Hero of Truth, and Reshiram, not to mention catching a shiny pokemon, it takes a lot out of you. If I find out that this is a dream and none of it really happened I am going to be PISSED." I said, making Grimsley laugh as we entered the pokemon center. I stirred in Bisharp's arms in an attempt to get up and give Nurse Joy my pokemon, but the steel soldier only tightened its grip while Grimsley got in front, carefully plucking the pokeballs of Lola, Sorrel, and Zorua off of me and turning to Nurse Joy.

"Please take care of these pokemon for us. And I would also like a room." He asked. Nurse Joy smiled as she took my pokemon from him and gave him a key card in exchange. Assuring us my pokemon would be safe, Nurse Joy left to give them treatment while Grimsley walked to a door beside the counter, holding it open as Bisharp walked through. We made our way down the quiet, sterile hallway and I could feel myself getting sleepy. I tried to fight off the tiredness as we stopped at one of the rooms, Grimsley opening the door and letting us inside. I was losing horribly as I yawned while Bisharp carried me to a bed, setting me down as Grimsley pulled off my shoes and jacket then pulling the blanket over me. He gave me a soft pat on the head and bid me goodnight as once again, darkness dominated my mind.

TBC

God, falling unconscious twice in one day for the second day in a row. I hope Vixen's okay. She keeps fainting like this, she'll never make it as a pokemon trainer. Time will tell I suppose. Let's see what her third day of traveling brings.

So this chapter is another filler. I decided that I AM going to incorporate some elements from Black and White and their sequels. Carina is based on my character at VictorySeekers, my pokemon RP site. She gets to be on the long list of celebrities that I have lined up to meet Vixen and help her on her journey. In the next chapter, she and Lola go after the Toxic Badge!


	10. Chapter 9: The Toxic Badge

When I woke up the next morning, it was still pretty dark. I estimated it was about 6:00 AM, since the sun was still only halfway up. I yawned and looked around. Grimsley was fast asleep in the bed next to mine, snoring softly, while Bisharp sat against the wall near the window, asleep but alert. Looking at my own bed I saw Lola fast asleep at my feet. I smiled as I sat up, instantly cold. I shivered and rubbed my hands up and down my arms, and I reached over to poke Lola, who stirred slightly.

"It's cold Lola, you should come here under the blanket." I whispered, helping her up and into the bed next to me. I was about to lay back down to get more sleep when my eyes turned to Bisharp. Being a steel type, cold wouldn't have bothered it as much, but it couldn't have been comfortable either. I frowned and got up from my bed for a moment, looking around until I found my bag. I turned the dial on the zipper and opened it up, pulling out my sleeping bag. I unzipped the sleeping bag and walked over to Bisharp, draping it over the poor thing to help it warm up. Bisharp let out a pleasured sigh and shifted in its sleep, and I smiled and returned to my bed, crawling in next to Lola and pulling the blanket over us, cuddling her close as I let sleep take me once more.

It was a few hours later when I felt a warm tongue rub my face. I groggily opened my eyes as Grimsley's warm voice gently coaxed me out of my slumber, and saw Lola's open mouth inches away from my face. I gave a weak chuckle as I gently pushed her head away, sitting up and stretching with a yawn.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Grimsley asked, sitting on the edge of my bed. I smiled at him and was about to respond when I felt something poke my back. I turned and saw Bisharp, holding out my sleeping bag which was all folded up. I smiled at it and took the item from it, and it gave me a gentle pat on the head and returned to its spot in the room. Leaning over to grab my bag, I stuck the sleeping bag back inside of it and zipped it up, standing up from the bed with another stretch.

"I haven't slept that well in a long time. I was really tired yesterday." I replied. Grimsley chuckled as he stood, putting a hand on his hip while he waited for me to get ready.

"I can imagine so. I remember when I first met the Heroes of Unova, I was out for almost a week. What an experience." He said. I put on my jacket and slipped the bag on over it before I sat down to get my shoes on. Lola poked her head out from over the bed and nudged me in the back of the head. I looked up at her and gave her a scratch on the chin. I stood up and stretched for the last time, patting Lola before recalling her into her pokeball and attaching the ball to my lanyard. With a smile to Grimsley, I started walking out, ready to go.

"Really? A cool guy like you going out cold for a week because of a couple of dragons? Hard to imagine." I said as I exited the room. I heard Grimsley snort in amusement as he and Bisharp followed, locking the door. We made our way down the hallway and into the lobby. I was about to go to Nurse Joy to pick up my pokemon when I remembered that Lola was asleep in my bed with me, which meant that I already HAD all of my pokemon with me. Which reminded me. I grabbed one of my pokeballs and kneeled down, pressing the button to release the pokemon inside. Sorrel appeared in a shower of sparkles, and I was confused as I looked at Grimsley. I was SURE this was Zorua's pokeball. And what was with the sparkles? He gave me a grin and chuckled.

"That IS your Zorua I assure you. For some reason the pokeball system affects their ability, so they and their evolved form Zoroark will always come out looking like another of your pokemon. They'll change back after they get hit hard enough. As for the sparkles, that always happens when you call out a shiny pokemon. That's why they are called Shiny." He explained. I looked down as 'Sorrel' flipped backwards, turning into the Zorua I had been expecting. It gave me a soft, sheepish smile, and I couldn't help but smile back as I patted the tuft on its head. Zorua made a warbling sound as it rubbed its head against my hand, so I could only guess that it was happy. I picked up Zorua and lifted it high above my head so I could get a closer look to identify it's sex to give it an appropriate name, and Zorua let me as it went limp in my hands. I smiled as I brought him back down, identifying him as male, and cuddled him.

"You're a boy. And a very special one. I'll give you a unique name. How about, Zachary?" I asked him. Zorua looked up at me and gave me an approving nod before cuddling my chest. I stood up again and clutched Zachary close, tightening my grip as I looked around me and saw envious, hungry eyes. I could see what Grimsley meant when he told me to be careful with my Zorua. The man in question sauntered beside me and gave me a warm grin.

"Ready to go?" He asked. I nodded and headed towards the door, Grimsley following close. We made our way through the streets, and at some point he took the lead, which was fine considering I wasn't entirely sure where to go. He led the way as we came up to a small building which had the pokemon league symbol on it. Stopping on the opposite side of the street, he pointed up to the sign.

"All official gyms recognized by the pokemon league have that symbol above the building in the colors that match the type the gym uses. Some people like to pretend to be official gyms to scam trainers out of powerful pokemon, or otherwise sabotage them. Just make sure the symbol looks EXACTLY like this one, and you`ll be fine. There are currently 20 Official Gyms operating in Unova, so check carefully. Now let's go get your next badge." He said. I nodded as we checked the traffic before crossing the street. Looking to my master, Grimsley nodded and I opened the door, greeted by a dark tunnel. I took a deep breath and hugged Zachary tight, the quiet little Zorua wiggling comfortingly as I took the first step. And then another, and another. So far so good. I started to relax when I heard a panicked voice in my head.

'_Vixen! Run! It's coming at you!_" I recognized Reshiram's voice, and a large, magenta pokemon suddenly appeared out of the darkness, roaring mightily. It barrel towards me and my eyes widened. I turned around to run back up the stairs, but I wasn't fast enough as the pokemon rammed me, throwing me back up the stairs. Unfortunately the whirlwind that was generated by the attack shut the door, and all I could do was turn around again to protect Zachary as my back hit it, knocking the wind out of me. I heard Grimsley's voice on the other side of the door, frantically asking me what was going on and why I slammed the door. I carefully opened my eyes, still gasping for breath, and saw angry yellow eyes. I gulped and clutched Zachary closer to me, the little golden fox growling.

"Um, hello. Please don't hurt me, I don't mean you any harm." I pleaded to the pokemon. But it ignored me as it stalked towards me, and Zachary jumped out of my hands, flipping several times in the air as he covered himself in a glow. When he landed, he looked exactly like the pokemon in front of us, which confused it greatly. It snorted as it threw its head back, thrusting it forward again as a sticky, purple, tar-like substance erupted from its mouth, hitting Zachary. He coughed as his illusion faded, his once-golden body pulsating a deep, angry purple. I could tell Zachary was struggling to stand up, but the brave little Zorua would not leave me alone with this dangerous foe. I heard voices deeper in the tunnel, and I knew help was on the way. I grabbed Zachary's pokeball and held it up.

"Zachary, return! I`ll be okay!" I told him. As the ball pulled him in, the multi-colored pokeball on my neck burst open, Lola appearing with an angry roar in front of me. She snarled angrily in warning at the pokemon in front as she kicked backwards at me. Either I was really lucky or Lola had hidden eyes in the back of her head, but her kick struck the button on Sorrel's pokeball, and the Quilava appeared beside her, his flames fully flared up. The two pokemon growled angrily at the pokemon in front of us, and the enemy seemed to be slightly intimidated. But then it quickly recovered and roared again, preparing to spit more of that weird goo at us when I heard Reshiram's bell-like roar, and Lola and Sorrel both retreated back to me, rearing up.

'_Vixen get down! Make yourself as small as possible!' _I heard Reshiram say.

"Fire in the hole!" I heard Carina's voice say, and I shrunk down as an intense heat filled the room. Lola and Sorrel pressed their bodies against me, shielding me to the best of their ability as we heard the pokemon cry out in pain. As the heat died down, I heard the sound of 2 recalling pokeballs and I carefully looked up from my hiding place, to see the same pokemon standing right in front of me, its head mere inches away from my face.

"AHHHHH!" I screamed as I ducked behind Lola and Sorrel again, startling the pokemon. Lola and Sorrel were about to attack when Sneer suddenly appeared in front of the pokemon, her trainer astride her back.

"Woah woah woah easy, this one is mine. It's okay. Roxie and I were having a battle and letting our Scolipede spar, and Pendra hit her Scolipede a little too hard. It got pissed and started charging for the door, and you happened to get in the way of its temper tantrum. Scolipede tend to be VERY aggressive pokemon when wild or not well trained, especially just after evolving. This one literally just evolved last night, so I thought that I'd help her out. I`m really sorry about that." She explained as the pokemon behind her nodded. I took out my pokedex and scanned it.

"_Scolipede, the Megapede Pokemon, and the final Evolution of Venipede. This aggressive pokemon is a proud fighter, and will attack everything with poisonous claws and horns until it is satisfied with its victory._" The pokedex said. Carina's Scolipede snorted in response, walking over Sneer and marching to me. Lola and Sorrel growled, but did nothing more as it leaned down until it was face to face with me. It poked my nose with the tip of its beak and a small tongue poked out at me. I gave it a small smile and shakily raised my hand, giving it a small pat while Carina smiled warmly at us.

"See? Again the pokedex is very generic. Pendra has always been a very sweet pokemon since the day I caught her as a Venipede. She won't hurt you. Now, why don't you let her help you up so we can open the door? I'm sure Grimsley's going ballistic, and is about ready to knock the door down." She said. I remembered Grimsley as I heard his voice frantically calling for me, and Pendra reached behind me and grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulling me up and putting me on her back while she herded my pokemon away from the door, which burst open as a panicked Grimsley looked around, followed by his equally distressed Bisharp.

"Vixen! What happened?! Are you okay!?" He asked. I was about to answer when Carina interjected.

"We're fine. Roxie and I were sparring and her new Scolipede went batshit. Ra-ra's Fusion Flare took it down before it could do any serious damage." She assured him. Grimsley sighed in relief as Bisharp strode over to me and my pokemon, giving Pendra a greeting nod as it turned to me with worry in its eyes. I smiled as I leaned down to let it look me over, and it seemed satisfied by my condition as it sighed and rejoined its master. Suddenly I remembered Zachary. I took out his pokeball and stared at it sadly, which Grimsley caught.

"What's wrong?" He asked as Carina and Sneer looked at me, noting my expression as well.

"But Scolipede DID do some big damage. Zachary…" I muttered, tears welling up in my eyes. Pendra craned her neck to carefully pluck the pokeball out of my hands, giving it to Carina who turned the ball over in her grip before opening it up. The pokemon that appeared was another I did not recognize, a tall, weasel-like pokemon that was adorned in varying shades of purple, flat, whiplike fur dropping from its paws as it breathed laboriously. Carina rolled her eyes as Sneer reached around it with her tail, pulling the mystery pokemon's tail. The pokemon disappeared, leaving my purple-glowing Zorua in its place, his eyes squeezed shut. Carina frowned as she dismounted Sneer while Grimsley kneeled down beside her, inspecting him as well.

"He's got a bad poison condition. Scolipede must have used Toxic and he took the hit." Grimsley said. Carina nodded as she scooped up the pokemon, cuddling Zachary. She looked at me and smiled warmly.

"Don't worry, I`ll take care of him. Why don't you let Pendra take you downstairs for your Gym Battle? We got word from Cheran in Aspertia, and know this is your second gym. Battles for the second badge are 2 on 2 single style battles like in Aspertia, so you won't be able to use all three of your pokemon anyway. Go challenge Roxie, I promise Zachary will be just fine when you are done." She told me. I looked at Grimsley, who gave me a smile. I nodded at them as I put a hand on Pendra.

"Alright then, thank you. Pendra, will you take me to the battle?" I asked. Pendra chirped happily as she leaned down, scooping up Lola and Sorrel and putting them on her back with me while she awkwardly turned in the tunnel, going into the darkness. I whimpered a little, having another reason to fear the blackness, but this time I had a little help. Sorrel hopped up on Pendra's head, right in between her horns, and stoked his flames. His head and backside provided a light bright enough to illuminate the whole tunnel while Pendra continued to descend the steps. I turned around and picked up Lola, shifting back to let her sit in front so I could hug her again.

When we finally got to the bottom of the stairs, we saw Clyde, well, one of his brothers, at the door into the gym. He smiled as he opened the door, leading us into the gym. I was suddenly assaulted by rock music as I looked up to see Roxie's band practice, though Roxie herself was pacing around the front of the stage. She looked up and saw us, and ran up to us while her guitar bounced on her back, her Koffing floating beside her.

"Scolipede! Wait a second, that bow on your horn, you're Pendra! Is my Scolipede okay? What happened?" She asked frantically. I dismounted Pendra and started explaining everything that happened to Roxie, who had silenced her band to listen to me intently. When I finished my story, she gave me an apologetic smile and grabbed my hand in both of hers, giving it a comforting squeeze.

"I`m really sorry about that. He's been really moody ever since he evolved so I thought sparring with a female Scolipede would help. Don't worry about your Zorua, if anyone can fix him Carina can. She knows Scolipede venom better than anyone I know, and I'm a poison type gym leader! Anyway, so this is your second badge huh? Ready to get started?" She asked, dropping my hand as she snapped her fingers. The floor shifted as tables and chairs were moved by a rolling platform, a battlefield rising from underneath. I smiled as I took my side of the field, Pendra wandering off to the sidelines as she was joined by Grimsley, Bisharp, Sneer, and Carina, the last of whom was distracted by her patient.

"I`m ready when you are Roxie." I told her. Roxie smirked as she ran to her side of the field, whipping her guitar out from behind her.

"Alright! Rock and roll!" She said as she strummed her guitar. Her bandmates followed her lead and began to play their blaring rock music, and Clyde showed up in his designated spot on the field. He grabbed a mic and began to sing.

"_Yeow! This is a 2 on 2 gym fight  
So get out there with all your might!  
When both on one side cannot stand  
Then victory goes in the other's hand!  
Watch out for the leader's poison  
____Now go on, get started, let the battle begin!_" He sang. I toppled over and cackled at the entire thing. I can't believe he did that! I struggled to stand, still giggling, as I gestured at Sorrel to go up. I looked at Roxie with an amused grin as I stood up straigher._  
_

"Forgive me if I don't sing my commands. Sorrel is my first pokemon." I told her. She just grinned as her Koffing took the field.

"Fine by me! I'm not gonna sing this either. Virbank's Clyde is gifted when it comes to lyrics, and he's able to come up with them on the fly. It takes me forever to write a good song. Just concentrate on the battle. Now Koffing, use smokescreen!" She commanded. Koffing took a deep breath, inflating itself until a black smoke burst out of it. The smoke engulfed the entire field. Sorrel ignited his flames, looking around carefully for the opponent. I decided that for this battle, I'd play it carefully and go on the defense.

"Sorrel, turn off your fire and use Quick Attack in the smoke!" I commanded. Sorrel did as commanded and calmed his flames, running right into Koffing's smoke just as the purple ball emerged, bouncing off the field where Sorrel had been. Roxie smirked as she and her band continued to play.

"Not bad, but you`ll have to do better than that! Koffing, go in there and tackle it!" She commanded. Koffing flew back into the smoke, and we couldn't see what was happening. But even over the music we could hear the two pokemon crying out as they clashed inside the smoke.

"Smog!" Roxie commanded. I saw as the middle of the disappearing smokescreen turned green, and Sorrel came barreling out, coughing as purple streaks crackled over his body. He had been poisoned, but not to the extent that Zachary had. He looked at me weakly, but determinedly. He was NOT going to lose the first fight of the gym battle again. I smiled as I slowly thought up a plan to stop Koffing once and for all, but it would require perfect timing, and be done quickly before Sorrel went down.

"Use Quick Attack!" I commanded. Maybe if I piss them off, they'll do what I wanted. Sorrel darted at Koffing, bouncing off it repeatedly. Koffing kept trying to return the blows, but was unable to match Sorrel's speed. It started muttering angrily at Sorrel, and the feeling was shared by its trainer.

"Use Smog again, Koffing! Stop that Quilava!" She commanded. Koffing inhaled again until it forced out more smoke, though this smoke was green. It made the attack cover the whole field, and that is just what I was waiting for.

"Sorrel! Light it up!" I commanded. Sorrel smirked as he figured out my plan. He ran towards the edge of the field and howled as his head and tail flames ignited. My suspicions were confirmed as the poisonous gas emitted by Koffing were set ablaze. Being at the center of the giant cloud, Koffing could not escape as the fire engulfed the entire field, and Koffing cried out in pain as it flew around, trying to escape. When the fire used up all of the gas, it died out, leaving a scorched Koffing. Koffing's eye and upper lip twitched before it coughed and fell down. Sorrel and I cheered as Clyde grabbed his mic again.

"_Down in flames, Koffing goes  
__While Quilava's win makes it glow!_" He sang, earning another chuckle from me. Roxie smirked as she pulled out a pokeball, recalling her Koffing.

"Not bad Vixen, not bad at all. Let's see how you fare against my next pokemon. Whirlipede, let's rock and roll!" She called as she threw another pokeball. The pokemon that emerged looked a lot like Scolipede, except it was a dark lavender and it was curled up in a tight wheel. I considered scanning it with my pokedex, but with Sorrel poisoned and losing his strength every second that passed, I decided to skip it. There would be other Whirlipede on my journey I`m sure. Sorrel gave a snort while Lola padded up behind me, ready to take over when I gave the word.

"Sorrel, use Ember!" I commanded. The weakened Quilava snarled as he spit small flames at Whirlipede, but it simply jumped up and rotated, landing with a soft thud. It was completely unfazed by the attack. Roxie smirked as she brought her hand down over her guitar.

"Take it down with Rollout!" She commanded. Whirlipede gave a revving cry as it began rolling towards Sorrel, who was too weak to dodge as Whirlipede barreled into him. He went flying and landed near my feet, struggling to get up. But the purple streaks from his poisoning crackled along his body and he couldn't fight anymore. He passed out with a thud, and I smiled warmly as I recalled him into his ball.

"_Quilava has been taken down  
__Whirlipede's rollout won this round!_" Clyde sang. I was bored with the music by this time, and was able to keep a straight face as Lola padded in front, stamping her foot and snorting. She was ready to go.

"This is going to be fun." I told Roxie. She grinned at me in agreement as our pokemon worked themselves into a frenzy. This last round was going to be real exciting, considering how strong that Whirlipede was.

"Lola, use Headbutt!" I commanded.

"Rollout Whirlipede!" Roxie yelled. Our two pokemon charged towards each other ferociously, and I had to think fast.

"Lola, stop your attack and get on Whirlipede and don't let it stop rolling!" I commanded. Lola raised her head as she leapt up, planting her feet on top of the Whirlipede as she began to run, keeping it rolling. The tire-like pokemon jumped up and down as it rolled to dislodge its rider, but Lola was a lot more lithe than that. She stayed on Whirlipede as though she had done this all her life. She then started to take control of Whirlipede and began turning, rolling it towards the edge of the field before jumping off, delivering a powerful donkey kick to throw it across the room. Whirlipede bounced off the wall and flew right back to Lola, spinning even faster, but I was prepared for that.

"Dragonbreath!" I commanded. Lola turned around and threw her head back, throwing it forward again and roaring as the pink firestream launched towards Whirlipede, who was unable to turn away as it was engulfed by the fire. But even that powerful attack was unable to slow Whirlipede's momentum, and I had to get Lola away.

"Lola, back up! Back up back up back up!" I called. She began to trot backwards while keeping her fire going. I hated to make her move and use a breath attack at the same time, but I did not want that heavy pokemon to get too close. Whirlipede hit the field with a bounce, and Lola stopped her attack, panting from the effort. I crossed my fingers as I watched the pokemon carefully. After what seemed like forever, Whirlipede flinched as yellow sparks crackled on its body, and I whooped. Lola smiled and wiggled her head to join my celebration, but it wasn't over yet.

"Use another Dragonbreath and finish it!" I commanded. Roxie gritted her teeth as she slowed down on her guitar.

"Poison Sting, go!" She commanded. Whirlipede jumped up and rotated as purple thorns flew towards Lola, who fired her Dragonbreath at the same time. The two attacks collided in the middle of the field, with neither side letting up. Roxie and I locked eyes in the same way our pokemon locked attacks. Suddenly, Whirlipede flinched as its paralysis kicked in, and its poison sting weakened while Lola's Dragonbreath slowly overtook it, but at the last moment Whirlipede composed itself and pushed back. The two attacks exploded with the extra power their casters put in, and I took this chance to make my move.

"Bite!" I commanded.

"Rollout!" I heard Roxie say. Both pokemon rushed into the smoke and we heard the two collide, but we were unable to see what resulted. When the smoke cleared, both pokemon were standing a few feet away from each other, Lola in front of Roxie and Whirlipede in front of me. For the longest time, neither pokemon moved, but then Whirlipede grunted as it fell on its side, its eye dark and spinning from exhaustion. I cheered as Lola turned around and ran to me while Clyde finished his song.

"_Wahhhh Whirlipede goes down with fierce Bravery  
As with a sweeping bite, Deino claims Victory!  
Her trainer wins by quite an edge!  
__And as her reward, claims the Toxic Badge!" _He sang, and I couldn't help chuckling again as I hugged Lola while Roxie recalled her pokemon, walking over to me as our audience clapped.

"You heard him honey, the Toxic Badge is yours. As a special thanks for giving me such a great battle, and for not holding my Scolipede's attack on you against me, let me teach one of your pokemon a cool move." She said with a grin. I blinked at her as I considered the offer, and I gave her a smile, nodding.

"Sure. I could always use a new toy. What did you have in mind?" I asked her. She looked at Zachary and Lola and hummed in thought before pointing at my shiny Zorua.

"How about him? This move would be really useful to him, since he's a shiny. He can use this move to get away really quickly, or give you a more solid edge in battle. You can't keep depending on Dragonbreath to paralyze everyone." She told me. I looked at Zachary as I thought it over, and I smiled and nodded at Roxie. She then picked up the healthy pokemon and took out a purple disc. Pushing a button in the center, she sat him on top of it and he glowed purple, but he wasn't poisoned. When the glow faded, Zachary stood up and tilted his head back, throwing it forward and making a loud hacking sound, spitting out the purple tar I saw Scolipede use. Roxie smiled as she picked up the disc, putting it back in her pocket.

"And now he knows Toxic. When it hits the opponent, Toxic will make them badly poisoned. Bad poison is like poison on steroids, it gets worse the longer the pokemon stays up. It's also dangerous for humans to touch, so if you guys get in trouble, one drop of Toxic is enough to get them away. He's like a living can of pepper spray. And here is your badge." She said, handing me the purple badge. it looked like a line of bubbles, which culminated in a bubble explosion at the top. I grinned as I hooked it onto my lanyard above my Basic Badge, and I gave Lola and Zachary a good pet as I contemplated my next move.

"The only way off this island is by boat. Technically, Driftveil city is closest but Clay is doing some weird shit over there and won't let tourist boats dock, nor is he accepting challengers. Your best bet is Castelia city." I heard Carina say. I nodded as I stood up and recalled Zachary into his pokeball. I thanked everyone for all of their help and began to leave, feeling Grimsley's presence behind me. As I left the gym, Lola in front, I realized that my "teacher" was nowhere near, meaning that I'd have to find my own way to the mainland. I shrugged as I started towards the pokemon center to get my pokemon healed, as well as get info on just how the heck I was supposed to get out of here.

TBC

And Badge number 2! Sorry the battle with Whirlipede was so short, but I got so tired of this chapter. This is the longest one yet. Next chapter will be filler, but fret not, I promise it will be a fun one. And no, I didn't actually get Toxic in Black 2, but I don't plan on using Fake Tears on Zachary, and I don't have any useful moves to give him right now.

Holy crap this is over 5000 words. O_O Damn Italics, they were in all the wrong places.


	11. Chapter 10: Guidance from Dragons

When I got to the pokemon center, I recalled Lola and gave Nurse joy her pokeball and Sorrel's, keeping Zachary with me since Carina gave him a full treatment. While the doctor took my two tired pokemon with her, I released Zachary, who emerged from the pokeball in his normal form in a shower of sparkles. I guess the ability thing only happens when I actually HAVE pokemon with me. I'll have to figure out a way to use that to my advantage, but not now. I picked up the Zorua and put him on top of my head, walking over to the pokemart. I got a lot of stares from people as they observed the shiny Zorua, but no one bothered us so I ignored them as I made my way to the counter, noting the cashier's interested stare before returning his attention to me.

"What can I help you with?" He asked. I smiled as I leaned against the counter.

"Do you have any schedules for the boats? I wanna go to Castelia but I have no idea where to go or when." I asked him. The cashier smiled as a Purrloin jumped up from behind the counter, bounding across the surface as it took a pamphlet from a stand next to it. The cat then brought the pamphlet back to it's trainer, who pulled out some odd, rectangular candy that he gave to the pokemon, who nibbled on it in a corner while he opened up the item it brought him, laying it on the counter between us.

"Unfortunately, we don't carry anything like that here, but you can get all of that information directly at the harbor. Just go right into the ferry station and they'll help you. You can get there if you just go south from here, then make a left turn, towards the gym, and keep going until you get to the docks. The Ferry Service is right there, you can't miss it." He said as he trailed his finger on the road I needed to take. I smiled in gratitude as I took out some money, but the cashier shook his head at me. I tilted my own head in confusion while Zachary held on tightly.

"Surely you can't sell this map that you just opened?" I asked him. He smiled as he folded it back up.

"Naw, but seeing a shiny pokemon is a once in a lifetime experience. I`m not a trainer, that Purrloin is my pet, and I don't know any except for the customers who stop in to buy things. Getting a chance to see such a beautiful pokemon is payment enough for me. May I hold it?" He asked. I narrowed my eyes slightly as Zachary shifted on my head, but I picked him up and set him on the counter.

"Sure, but I should warn you, he knows Toxic." I said. The man smiled as he gently picked up my Zorua, giving him a gentle hug and a soft stroke of his golden fur before holding him back out to me, a warm smile plastered on his face.

"Thank you so much. He's a beautiful pokemon. What is his name?" He asked me. Zachary smiled at him as he darted back up my shoulders and reappeared on my head, and I felt pretty good.

"His name is Zachary." I told the man. He smiled as he pulled out more of that candy he gave his Purrloin, and he waited until I gave him a permissive nod before holding it out to my Zorua. Zachary sniffed it before giving it a tentative lick, gobbling it up quickly.

"It's Pokeblock. Trainers in the Hoenn region give it to their pokemon. Some people like to give their pokemon Poffins, which are the treats Sinnohans use, but I prefer Pokeblock. They are cheaper, and last longer." He said as he pointed towards the Master Prep Shop.

"All pokemarts near a harbor has Pokeblock and Poffin making stations. Just take any berries you've got and you can make your own, or you can otherwise just buy packs of the stuff premade here in front. I suggest the latter, since it's risky to try and make pokemon food without proper instruction, and any pokemart will carry premade Pokeblock and Poffins." He said, pointing towards the pokemon food aisle. I gave him a smile as I made my way towards the aisle he pointed, grabbing a few cans of dark and fire pokemon food and looked at the packages of Pokeblock. They weren't as clear as the pokemon food, for some was labeled "for feline pokemon only" or "for fish pokemon only". I looked at the packages carefully before grabbing a stick of pokeblock for Dragon-like, Fox-like, and Weasel-like pokemon, and then another stick that was generic. I gave the sticks to Zachary, who took them all into his mouth but only bit down enough to hold them as I made my way to the medicine. I grabbed a medical tray and stocked up on plenty of potions and other medicines and prepared to head up to the counter when I saw the Poffins. I smiled and grabbed a box that was specific for cat pokemon, then made my way back to the counter. As he scanned the items, I packed everything into my bag except for the Poffins, which I gave to him.

"Thanks for the help and for telling me about these treats, and for being a cool guy. Take these as my thanks." I said as I left the mart, waving as he called out his thanks. I made my way back up to the counter of the pokemon center as Nurse Joy handed me my pokeballs. I smiled my thanks at her as I recalled Zachary, calling out Lola in his place. Sticking her pokeball back on my lanyard and Zach's on my belt, I gave Lola a pat on the head as I left the pokemon center. Breathing in the sea breeze of Virbank, I smiled as we made our way to the harbor.

When we got there, I went into the Ferry Services building with Lola close behind me. It looked a lot like the airports I've seen on TV, minus the cargo belt. People and pokemon walked around in lines that were only slightly organized. There were electric bulletin boards with expected departure and arrival times, and there were different counters with Service People and pokemon who helped book people on cruises and ferries. In the middle of the floor, I saw 2 strange pokemon I had never seen before. One looked like a big purple cloud with green streaks and bumps on it's face, with a large stone on the bottom of it. The other one was a tall, yellow lizard with red tusks on either side of its face. I took out my pokedex and quickly scanned them.

"_Spiritomb, the Forbidden Pokemon. This pokemon is said to be made up of 108 spirits. Legend says it was sealed in an Odd Keystone as punishment for misdeeds made hundreds of years ago._" The pokedex said about the purple pokemon. I then turned it to the one next to it.

"_Haxorus, the Axe Jaw Pokemon. Haxorus are very kind, though can be fierce when defending territory. They are sometimes used in construction to cut steel beams, and their tusks remain sharp even then._" Said the pokedex. I put it away as I looked at the two pokemon again. They both wore uniforms on their bodies and appeared to be directing people to various desks. Perfect! Maybe they could help me! I picked up Lola and carried her so she wouldn't get lost, and we made our way to the pair. There was a queue to speak to them, so I just held onto Lola as we waited our turn. After awhile, we finally made it to the front of the line, and Haxorus looked at me with a fierce expression, though I assume it didn't mean to since most of the threatening came from its stationary tusks. It picked up a large card from the floor and held it up so I could read it.

'_Can we help you?' _It read. I smiled as I set Lola down.

"I wanna go to Castelia City as soon as possible." I told it. Haxorus set the card down and picked up another for me to read.

'_Do you have a ticket?'_ It read. I shook my head at the pokemon.

"No, I don't. Where do I get one?" I asked it. Haxorus turned to Spiritomb and said something to it, then gestured for me to look at it. Spiritomb's face contorted and swirled and turned into an image of a woman with a female Unfezant next to her. I tilted my head as the image faded and Spiritomb's face returned, and Haxorus picked up another card.

'_Go to where Spiritomb showed and then come back so we can show you which ship to take.'_ Said the card. With that I was dismissed, and I picked up Lola as I left the pokemon, looking at the counters. I saw one woman with an Audino, and gathered that every Agent had a different pokemon so that Spiritomb and Haxorus' directions were more clear. I began walking around the edge of the crowd, looking for the counter Spiritomb showed me until I got to it. I waited in ANOTHER line to get to the woman, but finally I made it to the counter with the woman and her Unfezant, which cooed softly at us as I put Lola down again.

"How can I help you today sweetie?" Said the woman with a smile. I smiled back and cleared my throat.

"Well see, I wanna get to Castelia City for a Gym Battle, and I need to buy a ticket." I told her. She smiled at me while her Unfezant lowered its head to me, rubbing her face against mine.

"Well I can help you with that. First off, may I see your Trainer Card so I can verify your status?" She asked. I reached into my bag and took out my blue-colored license. I gave it to her and she first handed it to her Unfezant, which pecked at the card a few times. I made a confused sound as she then ran it through a scanner and smiled before handing it back to me.

"Just gotta make sure it's real. Alright, so then I assume you'll want to get your battle as soon as possible. You will want to take the S.S. Thundurus on pier 19. Here is your ticket, your fare was paid for when I ran your Trainer Card. Take your ticket to Haxorus and Spiritomb so that they can show you what the ship looks like, and you can be on your way." She said, handing me the ticket. I smiled and gave her my thanks as I handed Lola the ticket, picking her back up and making my way back to Haxorus and Spiritomb. Once again, we stood in line for a little while until it was our turn, and Haxorus greeted me as it took the ticket from Lola. It studied the ticket carefully before talking to Spiritomb again, who did it's image thing and produced a picture of the ship I needed to board. I took a good look before the image disappeared, and Lola took the ticket back from Haxorus.

"Um, excuse me Haxorus, when does it leave?" I asked. Haxorus looked at the electric bulletin board and looked carefully at it before checking a watch on its wrist. It then bent down and grabbed a marker, grabbing one of my hands and writing something on my wrist. I looked at what it had written after it released my hand.

'_Pier 19 boards 12:00 PM. Est. Arrival 3:00 PM.' _It said. I smiled as I shifted Lola in my arms, using my other hand to take out the Pokeblock I bought. I grabbed the stick of the generic pokeblock and opened it up, taking two pieces out and handing it to Haxorus, who gave one to Spiritomb.

"Thanks so much for your help. Goodbye!" I bid as the two pokemon enjoyed their treats happily while I left the Ferry Service. On the way out, I noticed some people looking at me. They were dressed like these weird ninja-pirates with a shield on the pocket over their heart. I ignored them as I set Lola down, taking my ferry ticket out of her mouth. We left the building and started looking at the piers, searching for the boat I needed to be on. The ship wasn't going to leave for another half hour, but I still wanted to be on it as soon as I could. Lola and I wandered around until we found the ship Spiritomb showed us. It was bright blue, with white clouds on the bottom. It looked a little big to be a fast-ferry, but I`m not gonna judge. If it could get me to Castelia in 3 hours, the it will get me there in 3 hours.

I had boarded the ferry and let out my pokemon. Lola and I leaned against the railing while Zachary clung to my head. Sorrel, being a fire type, preferred being further in the boat, away from the water, but I called him over when the ferry got further away from the island.

"Sorrel, you have to see this!" I told him. The Quilava shakily approached the back of the ship with us and reared up to put his paws against the railing, looking out at the island that held Aspertia, Floccesy and Virbank.

"Look at it guys. Now we're really on our journey. We can't turn back now. Nowhere to go but up from here." I said. My pokemon and I were silent as we thought about everything we accomplished so far. I heard someone walking up behind me, and assumed it was Grimsley. Seeing as how my pokemon weren't reacting negatively, it was a safe assumption.

"It's hard to believe that just a few days ago, I was helping Mom in the kitchen while eagerly awaiting my birthday." I said.

"And now, you are a seasoned pokemon trainer with two badges, and you are an Elite 4 Member's apprentice and good friends with one of the Heroes of Unova." Said Grimsley as he walked up to the railing, leaning against it next to Lola as he gave her a pat. We both looked out at the sea, taking in the ocean air, as the waves started to pummel the ship, rising up and dusting the ship with a little foam, making Sorrel yelp and run back to his spot away from the railing. Grimsley and I laughed as I stood up, recalling Zachary and heading to the side of the ship so I could stand at the bow. Grimsley and Lola followed me while Sorrel stuck close to my side.

As we approached the front of the ship I heard people battling each other. I ignored them though as I reached the very front, leaning against the railing again as Sorrel clung to my legs. I brought out Sorrel's pokeball and recalled him into it. It was mean to make him stay out in the middle of the open sea. I heard Grimsley and Lola walk up behind me and Grimsley made a curious sound as Lola rejoined me, sitting down as she put her front paws against the rails.

"I know what you're thinking, 'why are you standing here looking out at the ocean instead of battling with the other trainers?' Well, I've never been what you would call 'outgoing.' " I started. Grimsley didn't correct me, and I decided to continue.

"I kinda had it drilled into me to stay out of the way. From day 1 everyone thought Cory would rise to greatness because he was bigger, smarter, and more aggressive than I was. I took my time with everything and no one gave a crap about it when I did things right. If I tried to be more outgoing, I'd just get pushed back. Over time, I just stopped trying to get into everything, and everyone was happy with that. So I prefer to just sit back and watch everyone else." I explained.

"That's shit."

"Yeah honey, that ain't right, and it isn't fair to your pokemon." I heard a couple of voices say. I remembered that by traveling with a member of the Elite 4, we'd attract attention, and the trainers on the boat had gone silent at his appearance, which meant they had gathered around us and listened to everything I said. I turned around and saw several friendly faces. The trainers that gathered all gave me warm smiles as one of the girls walked to stand next to Grimsley, who smirked and crossed his arms. The girl was very tall, and had blonde hair. She crossed her arms over her red tank top and shifted her weight to the side as indicated by her tight shorts.

"That wasn't nice of those folks to do, but you're not at home anymore. Now you are in the real world. What you do is determined by you, not some bullies who can't get over your height." She said as another girl, her sister probably, stepped up. She was also tall and blond, but she wore a green shirt over black capris.

"Yep. You can't let people like that get to you. Plus, if you don't seek out opponents, then your pokemon won't get any stronger. You can only get so far with wild pokemon battles, and the gaps between the gyms gets pretty large. You need REAL battles with REAL trainers." She said. Grimsley looked positively smug as he watched the interaction, and girl in red approached me, kneeling in front of Lola and giving her a soft stroke. She looked up at me and gave me a smile.

"This Deino is very cute, and she looks really strong. I`ll tell you what, have a battle with any trainer on the ship here. If you win, then fight me and my sister in a double battle. If you beat us, we'll give you a present. Do we have a deal?" She asked. I smiled as I accepted their deal, looking out at the crowd.

"So, who wants to battle?" I asked. The crowd immediately erupted with volunteers, and I grinned while Grimsley disappeared into the shadows. Lola stood up as I decided on an opponent, and the battle began.

The battle was relatively short, as the three pokemon my opponent sent out were kinda weak compared to Lola, who beat all three without breaking a sweat. The two girls from before giggled as they took their spot on the ship on the opposite side, and they brought out their pokeballs with a grin.

"Ready to go?" They asked in unison. I nodded as I grabbed one of my pokeballs. I waited as they tossed out their own pokeballs, an Axew and Gible appearing. I knew a tiny bit about them both, and decided not to scan them with my pokedex as I tossed my other pokeball, Sorrel appearing. The girls gave me confused looks as they shrugged while my pokemon shook themselves, warming up.

"Alright, let's begin! Lola, Tackle! Sorrel, Fury Swipes!" I commanded. The girls looked even more confused as my pokemon charged forward, Lola barreling into Gible while Sorrel slashed at Axew over and over.

"Quilava can't learn Fury Swipes!" Said the girl in red. Axew got up and glared at my Quilava as Gible picked itself up.

"Gible, Take Down on Quilava!"

"Axew, Dual Chop on Deino!" They commanded. Axews tusks glowed a bright blue as it charged towards Lola, slashing at her with them. Gible waddled quickly towards Sorrel and slammed its head into him, making Sorrel flip backwards and glow. Zachary jumped down and shook his head, slightly dazed but still able to fight. The girls eyes widened as they took in Zachary's appearance.

"Well, that was unexpected. A shiny Zorua, that's awesome. Won't do you any good though. Gible, use Sand Tomb!" Said the girl in green. Gible puffed out its chest as it took a deep breath, spitting out a massive ball of sand that hit Lola dead on, pinning her to the deck. She snarled and thrashed as she tried to get free, even biting at the sand to no avail. I thought carefully about my options.

"Zachary, use Fury Swipes on the sand!" I commanded. Zachary ran over and began slashing at the sand, slowly digging my Deino out.

"Oh no you don't! Axew, use Dragon Rage!" Commanded the girl in red. Axew took a deep breath just like Gible had before and breathed out, releasing a stream of blue and purple fire.

"Lola, use Dragonbreath!" I commanded. Though pinned down, Lola was able to intercept Axew's attack with her own, slowly overtaking it.

"Gible, use Sandstorm!" The girl's sister said. Gible took another deep breath and unleashed a torrent of sand at Lola's Dragonbreath. They weren't nearly as strong as her, so their attacks didn't do much more than stall. Lola's Dragonbreath wasn't progressing towards her foes, but it did serve the purpose I wanted. As long as they kept firing their attacks, they would leave Zachary alone while he dug out Lola. This was more a battle of stamina than power, the one who held their breath the longest would be the one who would win.

Axew gave out first, which left Gible's Sandstorm to fight Lola's Dragonbreath alone. I could see Lola's attack weakening as she lost breath to power it, but she had to keep going, she needed to hang in there while Zachary dug in the sand. This was taking too long, Axew would recover before too long, and maybe that was a good thing.

"Axew, use Dual Chop on Zorua and Deino!" Like that. That was useful. I stayed silent as Axew ran at me pokemon with glowing tusks. When it got close, I smirked.

"Zachary jump up!" I commanded. Zachary stopped clawing at the sand and leapt up as Axew started slashing, its tusks digging into the sand better than my Zorua's itty bitty claws. My plan worked as the sand was loosened just enough for Lola to pull out a foreleg, giving Axew a swift punch before pulling herself out of the Sand Tomb. She stopped her Dragonbreath and shook herself off, panting heavily while Gible did the same. Zachary landed on Lola's head and grinned at our opponents, and I decided that now was as good a time as any to try out his new move.

"Use Toxic Zachary!" I commanded. Zachary closed his mouth and began to gag, his cheeks puffing up as he spit out the poisonous goo in two, big blobs. The blobs met their targets as they broke over Axew and Gible's faces, making them turn a dark purple that pulsed as angry violet sparks crackled over them. I smirked at the successful attack while the girls cried out in alarm.

"Toxic!? Zorua can learn Toxic?! Woah, I was not expecting that!" Said the girl in red.

"Neither was I, that's awesome! Well done honey. We submit. We're not gonna make our pokemon fight while badly poisoned. They're still too little. You win." Said the girl in green as she walked over to her Gible, giving its dorsal fin a soft stroke. The girl in red smiled and nodded in agreement, walking to her Axew and picking it up. I smiled as well as I made my way to the sisters, picking up Zachary and putting him on my head while Lola padded beside me. Zachary shifted around on my head and made his way to my bag, opening one of the pockets and pulling out two of the Pecha Berries Cheren's student gave me. Taking them from him, I gave them to the two girls.

"Thanks so much for the battle, and for helping me. Sorry about poisoning your pokemon." I said. The girls smiled as they took the berries, feeding them to their sick pokemon who instantly perked up.

"Not a problem. In the real world, that's what you do. Helping people and having fun battles while we slowly get stronger, that's what trainers do. Now then, we promised you a reward, and we're going to give it to you." Said the girl in red as she pulled a pokeball out of her bag. She twisted the button before pushing it, causing the pokemon to burst out in a blue light as a low-pitch hum sounded from the pokeball. She was releasing it, for good.

"We're Breeders, we specialize in the Dragon type. This little Bagon was born a few months ago, and she hasn't quite found what she wants in a trainer. Everyone focuses too much on what she WILL be instead of what she IS. If you've got what it takes to raise her, then try and catch her." She said as she and her sister stood up, moving back to join the crowd while I stared at the Bagon. I pulled out my pokedex and gave it a scan.

"_Bagon, the Rock Head pokemon. Bagon dream of flying, and practice by throwing themselves from high places. They have a thick crest on top of their head as a result._" The pokedex said. I smiled as I stood away from it. With a head like that, it might not be a good idea to let Lola fight her, especially when she's so tired.

"Come over here Lola, Zachary can handle this." I said as the golden fox jumped down, wagging his tail while Lola sauntered over to me. Bagon stomped and gave me a hard look as it waited for me to move.

"Zachary, Fury Swipes!" I commanded. Zachary ran over and reared up, slashing Bagon over and over. Bagon growled as she latched onto one of his paws, biting hard while he cried out in pain, scratching her with his other paw and biting her nose. I frowned as I thought about what to do. I hated to do this to a pokemon I was looking to make a member of my family, but I also hated to stand by while one of my friends suffered. I decided on the lesser of the two evils and shifted my stance.

"Toxic!" I commanded. Zachary puffed his cheeks as he prepared his attack, and Bagon's eyes shifted up. She let go of Zachary's paw and latched onto his muzzle instead, preventing him from spitting out his attack. Unable to get rid of it, Zachary was forced to swallow his own Toxic, dying his fur a deep angry purple as the purple sparks crackled. Dammit, Bagon was smart. She threw Zachary back as the little Zorua struggled to stand, not wanting to give up.

"Faint Attack!" I commanded. Zachary's eyes opened up as he ran at Bagon who lowered her head and charged for a seriously painful Headbutt. At the last second Zachary moved out of the way and appeared behind her, flipping over and slamming his back legs on her back. Bagon gasped as she went down while Zachary ran away from her, and I took this chance. I quickly grabbed a pokeball and tossed it at her. It pulled her inside and shook once, twice, three times, but did not ring. It burst open again and Bagon glared at me, turning her angry stare to the pokeball as she raised her head, slamming it down and shattering the pokeball. She turned to Zachary and began to charge at him again, and I was getting pissed.

"Use Toxic again! Make sure she can't move!" I commanded. Zachary hacked and gagged as his cheeks filled with the poisonous spit, and he opened his mouth just a smudge as he ran, spraying it all over until he had made a ring around Bagon, who stopped. She looked around and realized that if she tried to get out of the little pen that Zachary made with his Toxic, she'd be poisoned. Zachary was already poisoned, so he could walk through the ring of poison to attack her, but she could do nothing. Effective stuck, Bagon turned around and looked at me, staring hard before she smiled. Bagon started giggling as she sat down.

"Bagon!" She said. I blinked as I tilted my head at her.

"So, you gonna let me catch you now?" I asked. Bagon nodded and gave me a warm smile. She was smart, she knew when she was beat. I smiled back as I grabbed another pokeball, chucking it at Bagon who leapt up to meet it, headbutting the button and showing no signs of resistance as it pulled her in. The ball landed in the middle of the Toxic ring and shook once, twice, three times before it finally rang. Bagon was a pokemon of her word, she let me catch her. I recalled Zachary and started to walk to get my pokeball, but Lola grabbed my belt on the back of my pants. I looked at her oddly as she held on tight, not wanting to let go. I was about to tell her to let go when I remembered what Roxie said about Toxic. She taught Zachary the move mainly to protect him from envious people since Toxic was harmful to humans as well as pokemon. The ring around the pokeball was pretty thick, which meant that if I walked over there I would have to step in the Toxic, and get really really sick.

"Damn. Didn't see that coming. What do I do?" I asked as the crowd laughed while Lola let go of me, confident I wouldn't step in the harmful substance now. I sighed while I tried to figure out what to do when Grimsley's Bisharp appeared. It confidently walked through the Toxic and bent down, picking up the pokeball with my new friend inside and strode over to me. I blinked at it as it handed the pokeball to me, none the worse for wear. I opened my mouth to say something when Grimsley himself appeared.

"Steel types don't get poisoned. At least, not by conventional methods. You have to go through a long, convoluted process to poison a Steel pokemon, but most people don't since it's easier to just knock them out." He explained as he looked at my ring. He sighed as he thought about how to get rid of it when the girls from before appeared.

"That was very clever, trapping her with Toxic. Don't worry, we'll clean this up." They said as the red shirted one grabbed a pokeball, tossing it to the edge of the boat. The pokemon disappeared over the edge of the boat, but soon reappeared with a mighty leap. The pokemon gripped the railing with its long, blue tail as it balanced itself, and I pulled out my pokedex once more to scan it.

"_Kingdra, the Dragon Pokemon, and the final evolution of Horsea. Kingdra live deep underwater, making their homes in caves on the seafloor. It is said that they can create whirlpools just by yawning._" It said. The fin on Kingdra's back swayed slightly as the aquatic pokemon balanced itself, and its trainer smiled while her sister cleared the crowd.

"Kingdra, sweetie, we got a little excited over here and someone was very trigger-happy with Toxic. Do you mind cleaning it up please?" She asked. Kingdra nodded as it tilted its head up, throwing it forward and sending a massive stream of water at the Toxic ring. It's Hydro Pump was very powerful as it swept the purple goo off the deck, forcing it over the other side of the boat. When there was no more trace of Toxic, Kingdra stopped and closed its eyes, smug with itself. Its trainer giggled as she thanked her pokemon, calling it back into its pokeball while Grimsley pointed behind me.

"Land, ho." He said, and I turned around as Castelia rose up in the distance. I ran back over to the railing at the front of the ship, watching as the city got closer. Lola padded up beside me and I looked down at her with a smile, petting her as I turned my head back to the approaching city. Third badge, here we come!

TBC

Sometimes I love writing battles, and sometimes I don't. That was an incredibly annoying chapter to write. SOOO much research to do for that double battle. At least I got a new pokemon.

A special thanks to my sweet baby sister, Spirit, for drawing the new cover for this story. I`ve been re-reading the story some so that I can refresh myself on some of my characters personalities. I promise we'll focus more on Lola in upcoming chapters. In the meantime, I need cocoa, my head hurts.

Holy god this chapter is close to 5500 words if you don't count the author's note. I need to get ahold of myself these long chapters are ridiculous.

EDIT: My sis pointed out the golden fur thing on Zachary is wrong. For some reason I thought Shiny Zorua were a lot more yellow than what the sprite actually is. I think I need to adjust the resolution on my game, because he looks more yellow there. For the sake of pokemon individuality, we'll say that Zachary IS a dark gold instead of chocolate brown. MY BAD. That will never happen again.


	12. Chapter 11: Connecting at Last!

As we approached Castelia, another ship pulled up beside us. It looked like a sailing ship pirates used in stories parents told their children at night. The trainers of the ship flocked to the side to take a close look, and I was going to join them when Grimsley put a hand on my shoulder, pointing up.

"Look at the sail." He commanded. I looked up and saw a big, black and white shield with a large P emblazoned on it, a bolt of lightning going through it. I didn't recognize the symbol, but instinctively knew it wasn't a nice one.

"What is it Grimsley?" I asked him. He growled slightly as his Bisharp braced itself.

"It's Team Plasma." He responded as the ship got closer. A big, cold fog rose up from the bottom of the ship and started to envelop us. I felt Lola rub her head against me, and I reached down to grab her horn tightly. I felt Grimsley's hand on my shoulder tighten its grip while Bisharp's form stepped in front of us. It was difficult to see, and I was getting scared. Lola walked closer to me and reared up so I could pick her up, leaning closer to Grimsley as he released my shoulder, wrapping his arm around me and Lola protectively.

"What's happening?" I asked as people and pokemon started to scream. Grimsley gritted his teeth as he pulled me back, Bisharp following us as we tried to get away from the fog. I remember hitting the railing, but we still had not escaped, and the Elite 4 member grunted as he tried to look around to no avail. He grabbed a pokeball on his belt and recalled Bisharp, putting the ball back and holding onto me.

"Whatever you do, don't let go of Lola." He told me as he got in front of us. Before I could ask him what he was doing he pushed me over the rail, and I screamed as I clutched Lola tightly. Lola wriggled as she tried to get under me, and my legs wrapped around her chest as my arms wrapped around her neck while she dived, and we hit the water without injury. Though we were heavy, and the current from the boat was powerful and drove us deeper underwater. We had to get to the surface soon or we would drown. Lola tried to paddle up, but she was not strong enough to pull us both up while fighting the artificial current. I could feel myself blacking out and I made my decision. Her life was more important to me. I took off my lanyard and belt and wrapped them around her neck before releasing her and kicking her up. Maybe she could swim without having to worry about lugging my extra weight, and she could save the rest of my pokemon. She looked behind her as my vision faded. Goodbye Lola, thank you so much for everything…

…

…

'_Vixen! Hold on! Please hold on!_ ' I heard a voice say. At first I thought Reshiram was near, but it wasn't its voice. I couldn't tell whose voice it was, but I felt a faint poking in my back. I fought to wake up, but flashes of white clouded my eyes. I had to get oxygen soon. Looking behind me, I saw the thing that was poking me. It looked like a ferocious draconic serpent that stared angrily at me. I was running out of time, and didn't have any to spare to be scared I just reached out and put all my hope in the pokemon who lowered its head and brought it under me, my legs resting behind its 3-pronged crest. I grabbed the front of the crest and held on for dear life as the pokemon rushed to the surface, and I couldn't hold what little breath I had anymore and my body forced me to release it, making me inhale the seawater.

'_Vixen hold on! Just stay with me! You're almost there!_ ' The voice said. I fought to stay awake as the pokemon swam, spitting out the water and sealing my mouth tight, fighting my body to not take a breath. I was fighting with everything I had to stay alive as finally, we broke the surface. I let go of myself as I took a loud, shrieking breath. I threw up as my body expelled the seawater I swallowed, but my rescuer didn't seem to mind. When I finished throwing up, I unleashed a loud scream. It was a cry of relief, of triumph, of gratitude. I shakily held myself up with my arms, looking down at the big blue pokemon that had rescued me as I took out my pokedex, scanning it.

"_Gyarados, the Atrocious pokemon. Gyarados are known for their vicious tempers, sometimes destroying entire cities when enraged._" The pokedex said. I sighed shakily as I collapsed on the pokemon, pressing my fingers on its head in a sort of hug.

"Gyarados, thank you so, so much. You saved my life, I am grateful." I told it as I felt tears poke out. Looking over Gyarados' head, I saw Grimsley and Lola in the distance, sitting on a large black form on either side of a huge dorsal fin. Grimsley waved at me while Lola thrashed her head about, apparently roaring at us. Gyarados swam towards them and lowered its head as Grimsley stood, reaching out for me with one hand while keeping the other clamped tightly on the dorsal fin. I reached out to him and grabbed his outstretched hand. He pulled me off Gyarados and I collapsed into him, crying softly while he let go of my hand, hugging me tightly instead. He looked up at Gyarados and gave it a soft smile.

"Thank you, so much Gyarados. I wish I could do something to repay you, but please, accept my humble gratitude." He said with a soft bow. Gyarados roared softly at him as it lowered its head again, licking my back before diving again.

'_He said he was just happy to be nearby. He's glad that you're okay, and so am I. If you EVER do that to me again, I will snap your legs off so you can't do it again._' The voice from before said. I looked up at a very worried Grimsley as he sat down again, pulling me into his lap.

"A little harsh don't you think? I just wanted her to be safe." I told him. He gave me a puzzled look as he tilted his head.

"What are you talking about? Sharpedo, to Castelia, hurry." He told me before commanding his pokemon. I blinked and looked around, but saw no one else but him and Lola.

"But I just heard a voice! It told me that if I ever did that again it would….but wait, I heard it when Gyarados rescued me too, telling me to hold on. Grimsley, is Carina here? And Reshiram? Or maybe the Hero of Ideals and Zekrom? Grimsley I KNOW I heard something, I'm not making this up." I told him. He put his finger on me lips and shushed me.

"I know, Vixen I know. Vixen, Carina and her Reshiram are still in Virbank helping with that Scolipede, and N and Zekrom haven't been in Unova since the day Carina beat them. I think you should look on your right to find your answer." He said. I looked in the direction he pointed and stared at Lola carefully. She stared back and I felt something poke into my thoughts. I didn't pay attention to it before but this time I concentrated on it. As I stared at her I focused on the intrusion in my mind, and then I heard it.

'_That's it. You've got it._' The voice from before returned, and Lola smiled wide. I blinked several times at her.

"Lola, is that you? I can hear your thoughts!" I exclaimed. Lola laughed as she stretched her head out and rubbed her cheek against mine.

'_Yes, and I can hear yours._' She said. I blinked again as I reached out and grabbed her head, pulling her close and hugging her.

"This is so awesome! I can talk to pokemon!" I exclaimed as Grimsley chuckled.

'_Well, you can talk to me at least. But I'll translate for you if you want. Like I did with Gyarados._' Said Lola as she pulled her head away from me.

"How long have you been able to do this?" I asked her. Lola tilted her head as she thought it over.

'_Hard to say, I started feeling something when we met, and then when we battled Cory and Wotter, I felt what you wanted me to do. I didn't start to actually hear you until you kicked me to the surface._' She explained, I smiled as I reached out to pet her, but she took my hand in her mouth and bit down firmly without hurting.

"Lola?" I asked as she growled.

'_Two things. One. When you kicked me, you kicked my scar. That's still VERY sensitive. If you were anyone else you would have lost your leg. Second, don't you EVER give your life for mine again. We NEED you, __**I **__need you. If we lost you, we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves. Remember that._' She said as she released my hand and lowered her head, allowing me to pet her. I smiled as I relaxed against Grimsley.

"I did it, sir. I can talk to Lola, and she can talk to me. How did it happen?" I asked him. He smiled as he rubbed my side while Sharpedo came up to Castelia harbor.

"Like I said, there is no set formula for conversing with pokemon. My guess, when your mind is open, you allowed Lola to come in. Just keep your mind open and Lola will be able to talk to you." He said as we pulled up to a dock. Grimsley shifted as he got his hands under me, standing up while holding me bridal style. Lola stood up as well and bumped her nose against Grimsley's hip, disappearing in a flash of red.

'_It will be easier to move without having to worry about me. Don't worry, he has everyone with him._' I heard Lola say. Sharpedo began to tilt in the water while Grimsley carefully walked, and he kneeled down while Sharpedo grabbed his legs carefully as it shot into the air, letting Grimsley go as he jumped onto the dock. He carefully let me down and made sure I could stand before pulling out a pokeball, recalling his pokemon before putting it back on his belt. He opened his jacket and reached inside, pulling out my belt and lanyard and handing them back to me. I smiled as I put them back on, fingering all my pokeballs to make sure everyone was there. I sighed in relief as Grimsley held something in front of my face. It was a tight wad of cash and a pokeball. I looked at him in shock as he gave me a serious look.

"Take this and my Bisharp and follow her. When you get to the hotel, tell them you are Grimsley's guest. I want you to go to the room they give you and stay there. Take a shower and watch TV, order room service, do whatever just don't. Leave. That. Room." He told me sternly. His usual mysteriousness and humor was nowhere to be seen. Right now he was a member of the Elite 4. One of the mightiest trainers in Unova. I nodded and took the items as he walked away. Not knowing what else to do, I opened the pokeball he gave me and Bisharp came out, looking around in confusion.

"Um, Grimsley wants you to take me to a hotel." I told her. She nodded as she began to walk, and I followed her, half-distracted as I reached into my mind to find Lola. She was able to talk to me even in the pokeball, and I really needed to talk to someone who could talk back. After awhile, she stirred.

'_What is it Vixen?_' She asked me. I sighed in relief, confusing Bisharp for a moment, but I waved dismissively at her and she continued to walk.

'_What just happened, Lola? What happened when I tried to save you?_' I asked.

'_Well, I roared underwater to try and get your attention and Grimsley's Sharpedo showed up and Grimsley wrapped his arm around me. When they realized you weren't with me Sharpedo called for help while he swam to the surface since I was running out of air. We got to the surface and I kept trying to jump in the water and save you, but Grimsley held me back. Next thing we knew, Gyarados popped out of the water with you on his head, and Sharpedo sped over to him when we heard you scream._' She told me. I could feel her sadness and relief and felt horrible. I continued to follow Bisharp as we made it to this impressive-looking hotel. With a gulp we walked inside and approached the front desk. I stood up next to Bisharp and cleared my throat.

"Uh, I`m a friend of Grimsley, and he wants me to stay here until he comes back." I told the woman. She gave me a warm smile as I handed her the stack of bills, and she nodded as she gave a room key to Bisharp.

"Alrighty, we'll let him know you are here when he arrives." She said as Bisharp led me away. We walked down a grand hallway that held portraits of the world's elite. I saw champions and Elite 4 members from all over the world, and Bisharp led me into a door. The room was even more fabulous than the hallway was.

There was a plasma screen TV mounted on the wall next to the door. In one corner of the room was a minifridge with a clear door, allowing me to see its pokemon food and gourmet food contents. On the left-hand wall was a door that must have led into the bathroom. In the middle of the room was a circular, king-sized bed that held emerald sheets and a shining comforter while the numerous pillows varied between minty-green, white, and bright yellow. Above the bed was a portrait of a Serperior. On a white plaque beside the portrait, there was a pair of sapphire eyes above the words '_Even a painful truth is more comforting than a nice lie. When you accept all truths into your heart, you will live a happy life._' I blinked as it dawned on me. This was Carina's hotel room. I wondered why Grimsley would make me come here, but Bisharp chirped to get my attention, putting its hand against my face. I blinked at her before I realized that I could talk to her. Grabbing Lola's pokeball, I let her out. She leapt out and rubbed her head on my leg, happy to see me. She and Bisharp began to talk and she looked up at me.

'_She's worried about you. She wants to know if you are okay. I would like to know too._' She asked with a soft whine. I smiled as I gave Bisharp's hand a pat.

"I`m fine, thank you both. I'm just, overwhelmed. I need to go take a shower. Bisharp, will you take care of my pokemon for me? Zachary is poisoned and my new Bagon is tired. I have the medicine in my bag." I asked her. Bisharp nodded as I removed my bag, giving it to her. I took my pokeballs and threw them up, letting everyone out. Sorrel and Bagon leapt out and looked around the room wildly while Zachary flopped on the ground, whining from the pain.

"We're going to stay here for a little while you guys. I`m gonna go shower, Bisharp is in charge." I told them. My pokemon chirped at me as Bisharp knelt down, opening my bag to take out the medicine needed to help Zachary. I left for the bathroom with Lola close behind, and stepped on the soothing tiles. I was too tired and miserable to appreciate the fine decor of the bathroom, and after Lola closed the door behind me I shed my clothes and walked towards the tub. I turned on the water and let it run until it was hot before getting in, giving a loud, shaky sigh as the water cascaded over me.

'_If you make it a bath instead, I'll come in and clean you up. You look tired._' Lola said. I smiled as I looked over at her while she sat down.

"I'd drown if I fall asleep." I told her. She snorted as she turned her head to the door.

'_Even if you did sleep, you wouldn't drown. I'd keep your head up and call for Bisharp. She really likes you. She'd take care of you._' Lola told me. I sighed as I released the switch on the tap.

"You win, come here." I told her. She cooed as she padded over, leaping into the tub as it filled with water. As I sank down into the water, Lola made her way over to me and began to gently rake her small claws on me, pulling away dirt, dead skin, and salt from the seawater. I suddenly remembered a question that I asked when I first started my journey, when I first felt something prod my mind.

"Lola?" I asked.

'_Yes?_' She replied, still scrubbing me as I stopped the water.

"Remember the question I asked you when we first started our journey?" I said. She stopped for a moment and looked up in thought before she returned to cleaning me.

'_Can you be specific? You said a lot to me that day._' She said. I smiled and petted her head softly.

"How were you able to do all of this? You move so purposefully and calculated, like you know exactly what you're doing. I thought Deino were blind? Are you using our connection to see through my eyes?" I asked. Lola snorted as she moved to my other side.

'_Okay now that is just silly. A pokemon sharing sight with a human. No, we Deino aren't totally blind. I see shadows. I can make out shapes but not colors. It's hard to describe._' She said as she thought about it. I gave it a thought too, and came up with something that might help.

"Like shadow puppets?" I asked.

'_What?_' She replied.

"Shadow puppets. See, when we humans don't have anything better to do, we go into a dark place with a solid, blank wall and then turn on a small light, and the move our hands in front of the light to make shapes on the walls. On the walls we can see silhouettes of our hands, but we don't see much more than that." I explained. Lola made a warbling sound as she contemplated it.

'_That sounds about right. Then yes, it's like shadow puppets._' She confirmed.

"But what do you do when it gets dark?" I asked.

'_Well, others of my kind just bite and throw themselves around, but I listen and hope for the best. That's why I got chased out of my pack. A Deino that doesn't move the way its pack does is a risk to their safety._' She told me. I tilted my head in confusion.

"Lola….What would they have done to you if I didn't interfere?" I asked, afraid of the answer. Lola stopped grooming me and looked at me hard, considering her words carefully.

'_I-I would have been killed. If not by them then by the world around me. A Deino without a pack is a dead one. We rely on each other for food and protection since we can't see like other pokemon._' She explained. I reached out and stroked her chin softly as I contemplated her answer, but I didn't know what to think, so I just laid back and relaxed while she continued to scrub me.

"Lola." I said after a long while.

'_Yes?_' She replied. I felt tears poking out of my eyes as I smiled.

"I love you." I told her. She gave me a lick on my cheek and nuzzled my neck.

'_I love you too._' She replied. I continued to just lay there as my pokemon washed away the fear from our near-death experience, leaving only the warmth and happiness of finally being on the same level, symbolized by our newfound ability to communicate fluently.

TBC

There we go. Team Plasma appearance. And Lola is talking now! Telepathically of course. Don't worry, Vixen isn't the Pokemon Whisperer, she can only hear Lola and other telepathic pokemon like Reshiram. And before you start thinking weird thoughts about this chapter: The room belongs to Carina, who gave permission to anyone in the Elite 4 to use it, and Grimsley will most likely sleep on the couch and let Vixen have the bed. And now I`ll give my Black 2 Team's natures and movesets:

Lola - Docile: Dragonbreath, Tackle, Headbutt, Bite

Sorrel- Quirky: Tackle, Leer, Quick Attack, Ember

Zachary- Quiet: Scratch, Fury Swipes, Faint Attack, Fake Tears*which is replaced by Toxic in the fanfic*

Bagon- Jolly: Rage, Bite, Leer, Headbutt

Onto next chapter!


	13. Chapter 12: Truth vs Ideals

I was laying on the bed, watching highlights from the pokemon league, sipping hot chocolate with Lola, Zachary and Bisharp while Sorrel and Sarah, my Bagon, played. I was wrapped up in a fluffy, white bathrobe since Bisharp stole my clothes and gave them to the cleaning lady. When the coverage of the pokemon league ended, Bisharp and I reached for the remote at the same time, and we had a glaring match.

"Back off. _I _am the one that almost died. TV time is mine." I said to Bisharp. She continued to glare at me as she muttered to Lola, who sighed in annoyance.

'_She doesn't even HAVE TV in Grimsley's room at the league. Just let her have the remote Vixen, we can watch what you want to watch later._' Lola said, trying to pacify me.

"But…" I tried to argue.

'_When I told you I'd be willing to translate pokemon speech for you, arguing with Grimsley's Bisharp about what should be on TV is NOT what I had in mind._' She said with a snort. I sighed as I retracted my hand.

"Fine, I don't know what's on anyway." I muttered. Bisharp grabbed the remote and held it up like a trophy, and I rolled my eyes at her as she lowered it, surfing the channels until we got to a Martial Arts Tournament. She set the remote down and we watched as competitors, human and pokemon alike, fought each other. It was actually really good. The people were in such good shape that they were able to take on their pokemon opponents quite easily, in some cases winning.

"Wow, okay I give. You have good taste in TV Bisharp." I consented, earning a pat on the head.

'_What's going on?_' Lola asked.

"Wha? Oh yeah. They've got this tournament going on where people and pokemon compete for some big prize. It's a bracket-style tournament and everyone fights each other until one of them comes out on top." I told her.

'_Like a pokemon battle?_' She asked.

"Sort of, it's Martial Arts. Basically the humans are strong enough to actually fight the pokemon, who are barred from moves except for basic hand to hand combat. I wonder if I could learn to do that." I said. Lola, Zachary and Bisharp snorted in sync.

'_Even if you did, you'd never get to use the skills. We won't let any pokemon close enough to you to actually hurt you. Remember, I almost took Cory's leg off and Zachary says he took a Toxic to the face for you._' Lola told me. I smiled and stroked Zachary softly while I leaned against Bisharp, laying my other hand on Lola. We sat there in silence until the door opened, Grimsley walking in and closing it behind him. He held a package in his hands as he looked at us on the bed. He gave me a small smile as he walked to the bed, climbing on and sitting in front of me with his legs crossed.

"Are you alright?" He asked me. I smiled and sat up, picking up Zachary while I adjusted my legs before letting him back in my lap.

"I'm fine. Bisharp stole my clothes and the TV remote though." I said, throwing a playful glare at the unmoving pokemon. Grimsley smiled and chuckled as he held out the package.

"That's why I got you these. I hope they fit you." He said as I took it. I tore the paper and pulled it back slowly. He had gotten me cotton pajamas. They were black with little Deinos on them. I gave him a grateful smile as I moved Zachary out of my lap, walking to the bathroom with the new clothes to change into them. After I got them on, I walked back out and sat on the bed next to Grimsley.

"They're perfect. It's kinda creepy that you know my sizes." I told him. He snorted in amusement as he crossed his arms.

"It's quite easy to guess YOUR size. You are the smallest trainer I have ever seen. All I have to do is look for the smallest size in the Adolescent sections and I assume it'll fit." He said with a glint in his eye. I glared at him as though I could kill him with just a look alone. He continued to smile at me as he reached out at me, pulling me into his lap and rubbing my head with his knuckles.

"OW! Grimsley let go!" I yelled, trying to get up, He chuckled as he held me tightly. For such a skinny man, he was quite strong, I was NOT going to be getting up unless he let me up.

"Are you still mad at me?" He asked. I sighed and stopped struggling.

"If I say no will you let me up?" I asked him.

"Yes." Was all he said.

"Then no, I`m not." I replied. He let go and allowed me to sit up, and I gave him an evil grin.

"Vixen, what are you doing?" He said, cocking a brow.

'_Ready when you are._' Lola said, standing up and moving her bowl of cocoa away.

"Now Lola!" I yelled as we both tackled Grimsley onto the bed. Between me and Lola, we successfully wrestled him down, pinning him on his stomach while we sat on his back. Bisharp snickered but did nothing more as she continued to watch her tournament, and Grimsley cackled.

"Alright alright you got me, now let me up." He said. Scratching Lola's horn, we both got off of him and let the man raise himself up, shaking his head for a minute before sitting back. Lola and I gave him a wicked grin while he snorted at us.

"You snuck up on me, and had help. If Lola didn't join you I would not have gone down." He declared. I just continued to grin while I hugged Lola.

"Whatever you gotta tell yourself to sleep at night." I said. He crossed his arms and huffed as he tilted his head up with his eyes closed, and I couldn't help but giggle. After awhile, he opened his eyes and smiled at me. He got serious again as he relaxed.

"I want to talk to you about what happened on the S.S. Thundurus." He told me. Bisharp muted the TV and I listened closely.

"That was Team Plasma. A couple of years ago they started a campaign to make people release their pokemon. It started out slowly and no one took them too seriously, but over time their words got to people and everyone slowly started setting their pokemon free." He started. I tilted my head as I tightened my grip on Lola.

"Why would they do that?" I asked.

"Because Team Plasma made people think that we were enslaving pokemon. We were told that by closing them in pokeballs and forcing them to fight each other, we were hurting them." He said. Lola snorted in response.

'_That's stupid. Pokeballs just make us sleep, and even if we weren't in them, we'd fight anyway. If anything, battling with humans is safer because they don't make us fight to the death like what we normally do._' She said. I smiled and petted her down.

"Lola says that pokemon sleep when they go in pokeballs, and that a lot of pokemon prefer to fight with human guidance because they would otherwise fight to the death." I translated. Bisharp and Zachary nodded in agreement and Grimsley smiled as he reached over to pet Lola.

"While that is true, that is far from what Team Plasma preached. A lot of the region believed them. They were led by a young man named N, who is said to be able to talk to pokemon. With him by their side, Team Plasma went all over Unova and talked people into releasing their pokemon, stealing them when trainers refused." He continued. I took a deep breath as I hugged Lola again and let Grimsley continue.

"All seemed lost. Even I considered letting my pokemon go when N made his way to Dragonspiral Tower and called upon Zekrom. If the Dragon of Ideals was supporting Team Plasma, then who was I to disobey? Luckily, there was another powerful force in the works." He said, pointing up to the portrait.

"A young girl who cherished her pokemon as though they were her own family defied N and Team Plasma. Though she was constantly seen astride the backs of her pokemon, this girl was determined to show that there was no such thing as people and pokemon, because pokemon ARE people. This girl's name, was Carina. She and her best friend, a Serperior whom she rescued and named Sneer, challenged N and his beliefs. When the time came for them to face off once and for all, Carina and Sneer challenged the pokemon league and easily wiped out me and my comrades." He said as he stared at the portrait fondly.

"Upon my defeat, she ascended the steps to the Champion's room and watched N's castle rise above the pokemon league. N ran and hid into his castle, and Team Plasma stood against her to prevent her from facing N in the ultimate showdown. But she was not alone, her friends who began her journey alongside her had gone far and wide to spread the word of her defiance, and all of the gym leaders whom she defeated rushed to her aid. The Gym Leaders faced off against Team Plasma, pinning them down while Carina mounted her Serperior, and Sneer carried her into the castle to face her destiny." He continued, clearing his throat before he began again.

"I don't know what happened after she went into the castle, but I know that she was able to call upon the other dragon of Unova, Reshiram. I heard its bell-like roar and looked up in the sky as the roof of Team Plasma's castle shattered, and the Dragon of Truth and the Dragon of Ideals faced off in their ancient battle, their chosen Heroes clinging to their necks. It was a battle unlike any I had ever seen, there was so much fire and lightning as the dragons clashed. I could make out other pokemon fighting as well. Carina's Swoobat attached itself to Sneer's back and N's Archeops clung to his Zoroark, and those two clashed in an aerial battle of their own. It seemed like a long time, but in a flash of fire and leaves, Carina and her partners came out on top, striking down N and Zekrom. They all descended back into the castle, and not long after that they returned to the pokemon league to announce that Truth had won out over Ideals." He said with a smile as Lola and I cheered, bouncing up and falling back.

"Yay Carina and Reshiram! Down with N and Zekrom!" I yelled while Lola and I laughed. Grimsley chuckled at us as he cleared his throat.

"Now now, don't think that way. N isn't a bad person, and neither is Zekrom. Their ideals weren't wrong, they were just based on a lie. So after making a press conference in which N apologized for his ambitions and disbanded Team Plasma while Carina assured us that he meant no harm, the two of them took off on the backs of their dragons and went their separate ways, traveling all over the world. Though Carina likes to come back every so often to stir things up so that we don't get bored, but we haven't seen N since that day." He finished. I smiled as I sat up.

"So, if Team Plasma is disbanded, why did they attack us on the way to Castelia?" I asked. Grimsley frowned as he crossed his arms again.

"That's the million poke question. That's why I had Bisharp take you here as soon as we made it to the docks. After I pushed you overboard, I got other trainers evacuated, but a lot of pokemon got stolen. I had to go call the pokemon league and report this." He said with a sigh. I frowned at him as well and held Lola tightly.

"Can't we just call Carina since she's in Unova again? She and Reshiram stopped them once, can't they do it again?" I asked as I got on all fours, leaning into Grimsley. He blinked at me a few times as he leaned back, raising a hand and pushing me back into sitting.

"We're working on that, but until we can get all of this sorted out you need to be careful. I have no idea what Team Plasma is up to, but it can't be anything good. I want you to keep your pokemon close, don't let ANYONE touch them except for Nurse Joy, and even then only when she is behind a counter in the pokemon center. I can only do so much to protect you from them, so you need to be smart and protect yourself." He said, and Lola and I huffed.

'_I can protect you just fine, and so can the others._' Lola said. I nodded in agreement as I twisted my body to grab Zachary, scooping him up and cuddling him.

"I agree with Lola. We can protect ourselves just fine, you don't need to worry about us." I declared with some defiance. Zachary, Lola, Sorrel, and Sarah echoed my sentiment, and Grimsley chuckled at us, reaching over and ruffling my hair.

"I know you can, but I'm going to worry anyway. I'm kinda fond of you, Vixen. Maybe it's just because you are the first apprentice I've ever taken on, or that you have a dark-type Affinity like I do. Whatever it is, I want to make sure you're safe, and keep anything bad from happening to your pokemon. I'm going to head out and make a few more phone calls. You get comfortable. If you need anything, feel free to call room service, just don't leave the room. Got it?" He asked. I smiled and nodded with Zachary in my arms.

"Yes Master." I said, making him chuckle.

"Good girl. I'll be back later. We'll get your gym badge tomorrow, today is a day to rest." He said as he got off the bed, leaving the room. I couldn't help but smile as I laid back on the bed, leaning my head against Bisharp as she un-muted the TV. As the sounds of pokemon and people yelling and grunting in combat filled the room, I held Zachary up high above me, smiling at him.

"We need a chance to rest and figure out new strategies anyway. Say Bisharp, can you find something on TV like that? Like Battling Tips or televised gym battles or something?" I asked, looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes. She looked down at me and sighed as she raised the remote, browsing the TV directory for a show fitting my criteria. Lola crawled on the bed towards me and laid her head on my stomach, and I set Zachary down next to me to pet Lola. Team Plasma or not, nothing was going to take me away from my best friends. Even if I had to fight them myself and beat it into them, I wouldn't let them interfere with the wonderful relationship I had with everyone, especially my best friend Lola. After all, I JUST learned how to talk to her, I'm not going to let that talent go to waste.

TBC

Another filler chapter, this one is mainly a refresher for those who haven't played pokemon black and white in awhile. I pretty much just paraphrased the plot of pokemon black in this chapter. And added a bit of familial fluff with that play scene. If you're perverted like me and my friends are then Grimsley and Vixen look like they have a budding romance, but I promise you it is strictly a family-esque one. Like a Brother-Sister or Father-Daughter relationship. Anyway, chapter 13 tomorrow.


	14. Chapter 13: Lola's Goal and Zach's Joke

It took awhile, and I almost told her to give up and just go back to the tournament, but Bisharp came through and found a show that looked interesting. It was something called "Hilbert and Hilda's Hell-Raisers 101". On it was a boy and a girl who looked just a few years older than me. On either side of them was a Serperior next to the girl and a Samurott next the to boy.

"Turn it up Bisharp, this looks awesome!" I yipped as I sat up. Bisharp raised the volume as they began talking.

"That's it on today's Pokemon Food Corner, now let's get to the pokemon segment. Today, we're going to cover slow evolvers." Said the girl as she and her cohost raised some pokeballs.

"These two pokemon take longer to evolve than any other pokemon in the world, and are quite difficult to raise. Isn't that right Hilda?" Asked the boy as he threw his pokeball, releasing a Deino.

"That's right Hilbert, but if you are patient with them and take your time, then they will turn into one of the best pokemon you can possibly hope to have!" Hilda replied as she threw hers, releasing a small, colorful bug-type.

"Deino and Larvesta might not look like much right now, and raising them can be incredibly painful, but I assure you watchers that they are worth it. If you take your time and love them with all your heart while you raise them, they will be great and turn into these mighty titans." Hilbert said as he threw another pokeball, releasing a giant, three-headed pokemon that looked vaguely like a Deino. I took out my pokedex and pointed it at the TV.

"_Hydreigon, the Brutal Pokemon, and the final evolution of Deino. This pokemon is incredibly aggressive, and will attack anything it encounters with its three heads as it flies on its 6 wings._" It said. I closed up the pokedex as the girl brought out a moth-like pokemon, obviously the fully evolved form of her Larvesta, but I didn't pay much attention to it as I turned to Lola.

"But you are great just the way you are Lola." I told her, petting her. Lola smiled and rubbed her head against my hand lovingly.

'_I appreciate that, but I still would not mind being a Hydreigon. It is every Deino's dream to become one. Though my reasons are different from others._' She told me. I made a curious sound as I picked her head up and looked at her face.

"Oh really? Why do you want to be a big, scary Hydreigon?" I asked her. Lola snorted as she rubbed my hand.

'_For your information, my mother was very nice, and she was the only reason I had a pack to begin with._' She told me in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Alright alright, no need to get huffy about it. Why do you want to be a Hydreigon?" I asked again.

'_That's better. Anyway, it's simple really. Hydreigon can fly._' She replied, and I couldn't help but blink at that statement.

"You want to fly?" I asked. Lola nodded as she smiled.

'_I want to fly, and to see! I want to wield fire and lightning and ice all at once with Tri-Attack! I want to have the power to keep those I care about safe, and to be able to dare other pokemon into attacking me and make them regret it._' She said as she started to growl fiercely. I smiled and hugged her tightly as Hilbert and Hilda went on about Deino.

"Unlike Larvesta, Deino have another evolution to go through before they reach Hydreigon, and it makes raising them even more difficult. Owning a Zweilous is like owning two Deino at once. Their two heads are highly competitive with each other, and trying to control them is incredibly difficult." Hilbert said. I smiled as I petted Lola.

"If that's what you want, then I'll help you. I will see to it that you become the best Hydreigon in the world!" I told her.

'_Even though I have to be a Zweilous first? You heard Hilbert, Zweilous is the most difficult pokemon in the world to train. I can't guarantee that I'll still be me when I evolve._' Lola said with a soft whine. I smiled and hugged her head tightly.

"Zweilous, shmilous, I'm gonna do everything I can to get you to Hydreigon. If that means having to put up with two-headed bullshit then that's fine by me. Besides, I know you'll still be you even when you evolve. You're already very different from other Deino. Who is to say you will be a normal Zweilous?" I asked her. Lola smiled at me as she butted her head against my stomach.

'_That's true. Even when I evolve you will still be my trainer. I will still have my memories. I don't know if my other head will as well, but I will always know you know best._' Lola said with a smile. I returned her smile with one of my own, and we hugged each other tighter before turning to the TV, watching Hilbert and Hilda battle their Deino and Larvesta.

"No no no, you're doing it all wrong! They can see enough you doofus, just give it move commands!" I yelled at the TV a half hour later. The battle had been going okay, but Hilbert kept giving directions to his Deino to compensate for it's supposed "blindness". By doing that though, he gave Hilda and Larvesta plenty of info to use to dodge all of his attacks, and it confused his Deino horribly.

'_He's very stupid. Obviously he did not raise the Hydreigon he showed you. I don't know any Deino trainers other than you, but I would hope they don't all bark out directions like that._' Lola said as she listened to the TV, annoyed.

"No self-respecting Deino trainer ever would. I was calling out normal commands to you from the get-go. You're blind, not stupid. The worst part is anyone who wants to try and raise a Hydreigon and is watching this show is getting the wrong information." I said, crossing my arms and pouting. Bisharp said something to Lola and handed me the phone next to the bed.

'_She says that she's seen this show before, and you can call in directly. It's live, so you might be able to catch his mistake before it's too late. Want the number?_' Lola said. I smiled as I took the phone from Bisharp, hitting the 9 button first so I could make an outgoing call.

"Let me hear it, this cannot go on." I said. Bisharp muttered the number to Lola, who then gave it to me, and I listened as the phone rang, Hilda's X-Transceiver going off in the show.

"Hold up! We've got a caller! Go on sweetie, you're on the air! What's your name?" She asked. I was suddenly stage fright, but Lola butted my back comfortingly and I found my voice.

"Uh, yes I'm Vixen from Aspertia City, and I just started my journey." I said, hearing my voice on the TV. Hilda smiled as she waved at the camera.

"Really? I hope our show helps you then!" She said with a warm grin. I smiled back even though she obviously couldn't see me.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about. See, I started my journey with a Deino." I said, and Hilda and Hilbert looked at each other with pride before they converged on the X-Transceiver.

"Really? Then this is definitely a show you want to pay attention to. We're going over strategies with Deino right now." Hilda said, and I let out an inaudible sigh.

"I know, that's why I called. Hilbert, you're doing it wrong." I said flat-out, making the boy fall over in shock while Hilda laughed at him. He sat up and glared at the camera, his eye twitching.

"What do you mean I'm doing it wrong? I raised a Hydreigon before, Vixen, I know what's I'm doing." He said as his pokemon appeared at his side.

"Clearly you didn't raise that Hydreigon, because no self-respecting Deino trainer would bark out directions like they are in a taxi-cab. Deino aren't helpless just because they can't see like other pokemon, they can make their attacks connect without you constantly telling them where to go." I said, and he crossed his arms and huffed while Hilda continued smiling.

"So then, what do you suggest we do dear? What have you been doing with your Deino?" She asked. I gulped at the unexpected request, but kept my cool.

"Well, just trust your Deino. When I met Lola she took on an entire pack of Deino AND got me an Audino all by herself. I didn't tell her what to do or where to go because I was scared out of my wits when she was battling, and unconscious when she got the Audino." I explained.

"That's a very sweet story. Okay, we'll try it your way. Can you stay on the line please while we give it a shot?" She asked.

"Sure." I replied. Hilda put me on hold as she helped Hilbert up, and they made their way back to their sides of the field.

"Alrighty, with advice from our new friend Vixen, let's see how this battle turns out! Flamethrower Larvesta!" She commanded.

"Deino, use Dragonbreath!" Hilbert said, leaving out the direction. Deino roared as it released its attack, colliding with Larvesta's Flamethrower.

"Now use Headbutt!" He said nervously, obviously fighting with himself to not give a direction. Deino ran forward while Larvesta dodged as normal, but it was able to change direction and plow into the fiery bug, throwing it across the field, much to Hilbert's delight while Hilda smiled, taking me off hold.

"Wow you were right! Thanks so much for your advice Vixen. I'm sure you aren't the only Deino-trainer who noticed that, we could have been in big trouble. Where are you now sweetie? I want to give you something as thanks." She asked. I looked at Bisharp for advice, and she nodded at me, giving me the okay.

"I'm in Castelia right now. I'm going to get my gym badge tomorrow." I told her. She smiled as Hilbert's Deino made its way to her side.

"Alrighty then! Be sure to stop by the pokemon center at noon. I'll be there waiting for you with a special gift. Thanks again!" She said as Deino looked at the camera with a smile, yelling out at it making Lola smile herself.

'_He said thank you. Hilbert was driving him nuts with his directions._' Lola said, and I smiled as I reached down and petted her.

"Glad I could help. He LOOKED like he was going mad. I hope Grimsley or Carina don't get mad at me for calling out, I just could not let that continue." I said with a tinge of worry, but Bisharp patted my shoulder.

'_I'm sure he'll understand. That is a very popular show, and if Hilbert continued to fight his Deino that way a lot of people would get the wrong idea, and raising us would be more difficult than it already is._' Lola said. I instantly felt better and gave her another hug as "Hell-Raisers 101" ended, and Bisharp changed the channel to her Tournament, which was nearing its conclusion. I paid very little attention to it as I went over strategies and move combinations in my head.

And so we spent the whole day watching TV and going over potential strategies for my gym battle. Grimsley was still gone, but I wasn't worried about him. He had most of his pokemon with him, so he'd be okay. I had a dilemma of my own to deal with. Despite mine and Lola's efforts, we could not get Bisharp to tell us anything about the Castelia gym, saying that learning to expect the unexpected and fighting unprepared is all apart of the experience as a trainer. I guess I could understand that, but I didn't like it. We gave up after awhile and relaxed as Bisharp put on a horror movie. Probably a bad idea at 8:00 at night but oh well.

***The following is a fanfic within a fanfic that contains horror. If you are frightened easily, for just don't like getting sidetracked from the main story in general, then skip this next section and look for the bolded underlined text wrapped by stars. Everyone else, enjoy. Use Control + F (or command F for my fellow Mac-users) and type "End of Slendoark" to get back to the real story.***

The movie was called "8 Pages". It was about this girl and her Riolu who went to a forest on a dare by the local bullies. They had to go in and collect 8 pieces of paper scattered in the forest and then bring them back out. She also had to record the whole thing with a camera, the one from which we saw out of, to prove she actually did it. It seemed simple enough, but they were being followed. By what, they didn't know. They came up to the first page posted on this big tree, and plucked it without worry.

"_This is simple enough. Pretty easy don't you think Riolu? I don't know why everyone is afraid of this place._" Said the girl while her pokemon barked happily at her.

"_Lu lu!_" It replied as its trainer flipped the paper over.

"_'FOLLOWS'. What does that mean? And what's that sound?_" The girl asked as a large pounding began, like footsteps. The girl could not see anything, so she raised her camera to try and zoom in on the sound, but it was funny. The camera didn't seem to catch anything, but it started to go fuzzy just slightly.

"_Oh darn, I just bought this thing! Well, we might as well continue before it dies on us. Let's go Riolu._" The girl said as she and her pokemon continued on the path. They tried their best to ignore the distant footsteps that were becoming louder over time, coming up to a pick up truck and a large shed. The girl and her Riolu split up and went on either side of the truck. The girl took out her flashlight while Riolu concentrated its Aura in its paws and looked around the truck, approaching the shed. The girl found the next page on the back of the shed, and picked it up and studied it.

"_'CAN'T RUN'? What the?_"The girl said.

_"RIOLU!_" Her pokemon screamed. The girl pocketed the page and ran out from behind the shed as a blood-curdling roar, almost like someone slamming on piano keys, sounded. Her light illuminated a dark figure in the distance with a pale face, and the girl started panting as the camera turned hazy again.

"_Come on Riolu! Let's get out of here!_" The girl said as she scooped up her Riolu and ran. When she started panting harder, she stopped and set her pokemon down, looking around shakily.

"_What was that?_" She asked. Riolu shook in fear while its trainer confirmed the coast was clear, so they decided to keep going, reaching another pickup truck. A note was flittering on the front grill, and the girl walked over and grabbed it, reading the message.

"_' ALWAYS WATCHES, NO EYES'. This is getting creepy._" Said the girl as a growl sounded. She gulped and continued to walk as her Riolu walked beside her, breaking the trees until they reached a bathroom complex. They gulped as they walked inside, noting the odd lack of actual bathroom items except for the tiles. There were literally no sinks or toilets, only tiled walls. They walked through the small labyrinth until they reached a corner with a chair. Walking over to the chair, the girl picked up her fourth note.

"_'DON'T LOOK… OR IT TAKES YOU'?"_

_"RIOLU!"_ The girls pokemon cried. She turned around and the camera began to burst into static as they looked at a tall creature with a featureless face except for small ears on top of its head. The girl screamed as she picked up her Riolu.

"_Focus blast! Hurry!_" She cried. Riolu launched a ball of energy at the creature as her trainer ducked under its legs, running out of the bathroom screaming. She did not stop running even as she found a second page on this propane tank, which her Riolu grabbed and showed her.

"_It's just a bunch of scribbles, with one looking vaguely like a person! put it away Riolu!" _She commanded as she slowed down, running out of breath. The wind picked up and started to howl as they came up to a big Silo, and the girl gulped as she approached it, taking her 6th page.

"_It says 'No' over and over on either side of the creature we saw. Riolu, I'm scared, I don't want to do this anymore." _Said the girl with a sniffle. The camera chirped and lost focus as she turned around, the creature roaring at her again. The girl screamed as she ran the other way, coming up to a rock structure. They hid in the center of the rocks and looked up, seeing page number 7, and the girl set down the camera, shakily grabbing the page.

"_'LEAVE ME ALONE'. Okay that's it, Riolu, we need to split up. No matter what happens to me, you need to get out of here. You hide while I lure it away. If I get out of here, I'm going to tell the world about this…thing. You're my best friend Riolu, I love you. Take care of yourself." _Said the girl as she shattered Riolu's pokeball, setting it free. She and Riolu grabbed each other in a loving embrace as the camera started to fuzz up again. The girl let go of her Riolu and grabbed the camera, running out from behind the rock.

"_'Just try and catch me you big bully!" _The girl cried as she waved her flashlight at the monster, gagging and coughing before she ran away. She continued to run, past a brick structure, past a row of sawed logs, and she came across a tunnel.

"_Oh god, of COURSE I have to go through the dark tunnel. This is like a cheesy horror film._" She said as she shakily walked inside it. She couldn't run anymore. The creature was getting closer. She found the last page in the middle of the tunnel, and for the heck of it grabbed it just as the creature warped in front of her. Her camera began to fizzle out as it zoomed in on the creature. It was a Zoroark, but it was unlike any seen before. Its head was pure white, and except for ears perked up on top of the head and a long pointed muzzle sticking out, it had no face. it was tall and stringy, and as it looked down at the girl 4 long, writhing tentacles emerged from its back. The girl screamed as she fell down, her hand falling in front of the camera lens, which focused on the last note before fading out completely.

"_HELP ME!_" It read as the screen faded to static and then turned off. When it was turned back on, it was daytime, and the girls Riolu was looking into the camera lens. It turned the camera around and the sound of its trainers final moments played on the display screen. Riolu could be heard crying as it started to run, turning off the camera. Before the credits played, a message displayed, the creature's growling playing in the background.

"Riolu escaped the forest with the camera in hand, and it brought it to the gang of bullies who had dared its trainer to go in. They watched the tape and panicked, but did the right thing and showed it to everyone. Few believed them, though, calling it a well-done movie, and the police arrested the teens for the kidnapping of the girl. Riolu's trainer was never found, despite searching every inch of the very woods in which our story took place.

Years later, a film-maker specializing in Horror went to the prison where the teens were held and asked them about their story. They told him of this tape and asked him to seek out Riolu, now a Lucario, who held it close as the last memento of its former trainer. Upon meeting with Lucario, it surrendered the tape to him, making him promise to get this story out to the public, just as its trainer wanted.

Lucario died on the night '8 Pages' premiered, wanting to rejoin its beloved trainer after fulfilling her final wish. Her wish to warn the world of the monster that took her. The monster that roams the forests, stalking those who seek its pages. The monster that makes electronics fail with its faceless presence. The monster now known as:

Slendoark."

And then the "face" of Slendoark flashed on the screen before the credits rolled.

***End of Slendoark.***

As the credits played, I clung to Bisharp and Lola, the three of us still shaking in fear. Even the stoic Bisharp shivered as she held me tightly. Sorrel and Sarah had stopped playing to watch the movie, and now curled around my feet crying. Though she was not able to see, Lola heard every bit of the movie and was just as frightened as the rest of us as she laid in my lap, shaking in my arms.

"Th-that was a good movie huh guys? Wow I never knew they could make a Zoroark so scary. Maybe it'd be a good idea if you stayed a cute little Zorua forever, right Zachary? Zachary?" I asked, looking around for my Zorua who was nowhere to be seen. I let go of Lola and looked around the room for my pokemon, and all off a sudden Slendoark leapt up in front of us, making it's deep-piano roar.

"AHHHHHH!" We screamed as Bisharp slashed at the monster while the door opened. Grimsley ran into the room and leapt on the bed, grabbing me as his Liepard followed him inside and tackled Slendoark, who turned into Zachary. He howled in laughter as he rolled around the floor on his back. I glared at him with great intensity while Grimsley still held me.

"What's going on!?" He asked frantically while Zachary continued to laugh.

"ZACHARY! THAT'S NOT FUNNY! Get him Lola!" I commanded. Lola growled as she stood up, leaping off the bed.

'_With pleasure!_ ' She told me as she roared, chasing Zachary around the room while she tried to bite his tail off. Grimsley kept his grip on me while Bisharp also glared at my Zorua.

"I won't ask again, what. Happened?" He asked. I sighed as I pulled out of his grip, shaking myself off.

"We were watching a horror movie and Zachary decided to turn into the monster to scare us. Sorry Grimsley, we didn't mean to startle you. Thanks for coming to my rescue though." I said, adding a smile. Grimsley smiled back and we looked at Lola and Zachary running around the room. I then started to smile, and then laugh hard as Grimsley looked at me in confusion.

"What?" He asked.

"It was actually really good. Way to go Zachary, that was great." I said as the Zorua leapt back onto the bed, jumping into my arms while Lola snorted after him. Grimsley laughed as well as we both petted the little fox.

"Zorua ARE known for being incurable pranksters. He's talented, got me too. So what movie was it anyway?" He asked as he turned to the screen.

"It was called '8 Pages', it's about a girl who tried to run from a monster called the Slendoark." I said. Grimsley smiled and nodded.

"I see. I've actually read it before. Great story." He said, much to my shock.

"It's a book?" I asked. He nodded at me and smiled.

"Yep. Written by Shauntel of all people." He said. I blinked at him as Lola calmed down, resting her head on my lap while thinking angry thoughts at Zachary, who still looked fully pleased with himself.

"The same Shauntel who is the Ghost-Type master of the Elite 4?" I asked.

"The very same one." He confirmed.

"My god, there's something wrong with that chick to come up with a story like this then." I said, making Grimsley laugh.

"And you said _I _was creepy. See what I meant when I told you she was worse?" He asked. I nodded as I stretched.

"Yep. I can believe she is as bad as you say she is after seeing that movie. You are DEFINITELY a better teacher." I said, making him smile.

After we recovered from the giggles. Grimsley ordered us dinner and asked me about my day in the room. I had told him about Hilbert and Hilda's show, and calling them when I had seen them giving the wrong information on Deino training. I also told him about Hilda wanting to see me at the pokemon center tomorrow to give me a reward for giving great advice, and he actually seemed pleased. Lola was right. He told me that he's fought them before, and decided to start this popular show to help other aspiring trainers. He assured me that I did a great thing, not just for his old friends but for Deino in general. After we had eaten our fill and watched another movie, we went to bed in preparation for tomorrow. The pokemon and I got the entire king-sized bed to ourselves while Grimsley took up residence on the couch in the right side of the room, right under the window. As I laid down I felt something fluffy under my head. I looked over and saw Zachary give me an apologetic smile. I realized he was trying to make it up to me for scaring me silly earlier. I smiled and kissed his nose while I wrapped my arm around a sleeping Lola, who had curled up beside me, and I went to sleep, which was surprisingly peaceful and not haunted by the Slendoark as I would have expected.

TBC

What do you think? This was a fun chapter to write, I LOVE playing Slender. This chapter was actually inspired by a meme I saw on Pokememes. It was a picture of the Slenderman-Zoroark standing over a Riolu with the words Slenderark or Slendoark somewhere on it. I couldn't remember how they spelled it so I decided to use the spelling that sounded better. I said Slender-ark and Slendo-ark over and over and decided that Slendoark was easier to say. I might pull out Slendoark and release it as a fanfic on its own.

So this chapter may seem like a filler, and for the large part it is, but there is something important in here that helps set up the next chapter and future ones, and it has to do with Hilda's appointment. You'll see when I get it.


	15. Chapter 14: Trusting your Master

The next morning, Grimsley woke me up at around 9:00. Though hesitant, I raised myself up from my Zorua/pillow and looked at him with sleepy eyes. He smiled at me as he gestured to my clean clothes, folded up and ready to go on the side of the bed.

"Let's get ready for the day. I know a place you can go to get some good training done for your upcoming gym battle." He said. I smiled as I got out of the bed, grabbing my clothes and heading into the bathroom as Grimsley woke the pokemon. I felt weird though. As I took off my pajamas and pulled on my clothes, I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen today. Maybe it was nervousness regarding my gym battle, and I tried to convince myself that's all it was, but I didn't believe me. Putting it aside as I donned my jacket, I walked out of the bathroom and plastered a fake smile on my face. Grimsley gave me an odd look, but I shrugged as I walked over to my pokemon and recalled everyone but Lola into their pokeballs. I looked up at Grimsley and nodded at him, and we left the room, Lola and Bisharp close behind us. As we left the hotel and walked down the streets of Castelia, I decided teasing my teacher might help me feel better.

"So what happened to 'I'll be nearby to help you, but you're on your own for the most part'?" I asked. Grimsley grinned as he continued to walk forward.

"That was before we got to Castelia City. Look at this place, do you honestly think you'd find your way around here by yourself?" He asked, gesturing around. I looked at the packed streets and bustling people and chuckled as I realized he was right.

"I thought you were going to say something about Team Plasma being around changing your mind." I said, making him snort.

"Even Team Plasma won't get in the way of my work. Why are you so obsessed needing to be around me constantly to teach you? I thought I creeped you out?" He asked, looking down. I grinned at him as we turned a corner.

"You do creep me out, but in a nice way. I mean, you couldn't say you had a strong affinity for a creepy type without being creepy right? Heck, I just watched a horror-movie written by a woman whom I assume has a GHOST Affinity." I said, making him snort in laughter.

"You have a point, and yes she does. I noticed that people DO tend to take on the characteristics of their Affinity. When people think of ghosts, they think of ghouls and monsters and death. Shauntel is somewhat unstable, so this fits her to a 'T'. When people think of Darkness they think of the unsettling and fright of things that go bump in the night. You never know what lurks about when there is no light, and I will fully admit that I DO seem unpredictable at times." He said. That made me think for a moment.

"Then what does my dual Affinity for Dark types and Dragons say about me?" I asked. Grimsley smiled as he draped an arm over my shoulders.

"We don't know for certain if you HAVE a dual-Affinity yet. Reshiram loves everyone in Unova and your Bagon was given to you anyway. If you want to confirm your Dragon-type Affinity, you will need to find a wild Dragon pokemon and interact with it. If it seems to like you and bond with you right away, you will know." He said as I gave a frustrated sigh.

"But Dragon pokemon are so difficult to find wild! The only one I ever saw wild was Lola and her pack!" I said. Grimsley patted my shoulder and whipped in front of me, looking me in the eyes.

"It's alright it's alright, don't get yourself worked up. If it helps you feel better any, the signs are there. The current champion of Unova has a Dragon-type Affinity, and you remind me and Alder so much of her. You have the same, inherent pride that is typical of Dragon pokemon, but you also have a mysteriousness about you that is more fitting for Dark pokemon. Honestly, I don't know where to categorize you." He told me. I frowned at him and hung my head.

"In other words, I'm the only one of my kind." I said. Grimsley sighed as he grabbed my chin, tilting my head up.

"That is probably the most cliche thing I have ever heard anyone say, and if you say it again I will smack you. There are plenty of people who have dual-Affinities, they are just not very common since a lot of people don't pay any mind to it, especially when they discover their first Affinity. For all I know, _I _could have another Affinty along with my Dark type, but I don't care to find it since I am happy as I am." He said with a smile. I smiled back as Lola butted my hip.

'_He's right, you aren't a freak and that was VERY cliche. If you even THINK that again I will bite you._' She said, making me chuckle.

"You and Lola agree on how painfully cliche that was. I'm so sorry. I'm just…feeling off today." I said as I turned away.

"Why? What's wrong?" Grimsley asked as he pulled away.

"I don't know. I just have this sense of doom welling up in my stomach. Is that another part of having a Dark Affinity?" I asked, making him snort.

"No, that just means you're paranoid. You're probably still shaken from Team Plasma's attack yesterday. Watching that movie wouldn't have helped any." He said with a smile. I smiled back and stood up straighter.

"Yeah you're probably right. Oh, and as for the 'Obsession', it's just because this is very unconventional, and you are inconsistent." I said with a giggle. Grimsley snickered as he started to walk again while the pokemon and I followed.

"I'll blame it on my Affinity. Besides, isn't this more fun than sitting in some musty old room reading books all day and night?" He asked. Again, I had to agree, and nodded at him with a grin but said nothing while we walked the streets in silence. Turning a corner, Grimsley stopped as he looked up at a screen hanging from one of the buildings. On it was the 9 AM news, and it displayed a time of 9:20. The female Anchor laced her fingers as she rested her arms on the desk while her Gardevoir co-anchor sat beside her, staring at the camera with a calm expression.

"_And so hundreds of pokemon were captured yesterday by a group described as pirate ninjas. They sailed their old-styled ship next to the S.S. Thundurus and rushed aboard in a cloud of icy fog. Luckily a member of the Unova Elite Four was on board at the time and had intervened, preventing many more pokemon from being stolen. One of our reporters met up with the Dark-Type Enthusiast yesterday, and he had this to say._" She said as the screen panned into a clip. Grimsley appeared on the TV talking to a news reporter, and he looked as stoic and serious as his Bisharp as the reporter interviewed him.

"_Grimsley, can you tell us what happened on the S.S. Thundurus during the attack?_" The eager journalist asked. Grimsley spoke calm and calculated as he faced the man.

"_I had been observing young trainers when the ship had pulled up. When the fog appeared, I had recalled my pokemon and immediately took action to evacuate the ship. With help from the local wild pokemon, I got as many trainers off the ship with their pokemon as I could, but others were not so fortunate. We are still taking a headcount, but some trainers have gone missing alongside their pokemon._" He told the reporter.

"_Could the wild pokemon have taken them? Or otherwise left them to drown?_" Asked the reporter, making me snort. How insulting. Still, Grimsley kept his composure.

"_Not possible. Even if they missed their catch, the pokemon would have still gone after the overboard trainers and whisked them to safety. We have no choice but to assume that they were kidnapped along with the pokemon._" He replied.

"_Do you know who could have done this? Was it Team Plasma?_" The reporter asked. Without missing a beat, Grimsley responded.

"_The Pokemon League is currently looking into it. When we find the perpetrators we will definitely bring them to justice and bring back all who were taken. Even if Team Plasma was trying to revive itself, the Heroes of Unova would know and would return to the region to stop them._" He answered with an assured tone.

"_There have been reports that the Hero of Truth IS in Unova now though, in Virbank City. Does that mean that there IS trouble?_" The reporter asked. I have no idea how Grimsley kept himself composed. I would have throttled the man by now. It's almost like he was TRYING to make everyone panic.

"_Yes, the Hero of Truth HAS returned to Unova, but she has done so numerous times since Team Plasma's downfall. She is simply here to spend time with old friends and let us know she is still around. She has always been that way, even before she became the Hero of Truth. Her reappearance does not mean anything more than reassurance._" Grimsley stated. The reporter seemed to be out of questions, so he simply thanked Grimsley as the clip ended, returning to the newsdesk.

"_So there you have it. What does this attack mean? Has Team Plasma revived itself? Or is there a band of criminals trying to pass themselves off as Team Plasma to throw off the trail. Login to the Unova News Network website and let us know what you think in the forums. If you have ANY information regarding this attack, please contact the police. The Pokemon League is advising you to keep your pokemon close by, and to not let ANYONE handle your pokemon or pokeballs except for trusted officials, and only in a public place. This is Sandra and Rhonda, signing out._" Said the anchor and she and her Gardevoir went off the air. I looked at Grimsley, but he was deep in thought. He paid no attention to the world around him, I myself was almost lost as I thought about that news report. It didn't sit right with me.

"Master?" I asked, hoping the honorific would make him pay attention to me so I could tell him my worry. His eye rolled until he was looking at me, but he made no other movements. I decided to continue and hope he was listening.

"I don't like how that field reporter talked to you. It almost seemed like he was TRYING to stir up the dust. I think he is in Team Plasma, or at least supportive of it. I can't think of anyone else who would blame pokemon for such a terrible crime to make people apprehensive about them." I told him, the worry leaking into my voice. The corner of Grimsley's mouth raised up in a smile as he chuckled, coming out of his meditation and looking at me with pride.

"So you noticed that too? Very clever. I happen to agree with you, those were not standard interview questions." He replied as he started to walk.

"If that wasn't a normal interview, then how were you able to come up with those answers so quickly and calmly? It's like you had rehearsed it." I said, making him smirk as he closed his eyes.

"Expecting the unexpected is one of the key traits all pokemon trainers need to have. The Stoicism I had during the interview is expected of professionals, especially those directly involved with the Pokemon League. In my head I was thinking of how many ways I could make the guy hurt without breaking any laws. I'm up to 13." He said, making me giggle as we turned down an alley. Ignoring the odd and sometimes dangerous looks of the men in the alley, Grimsley continued on his way, and I had picked up Lola and carried her while I stuck close to the man, taking a sharp breath when one of the thugs reached out to me. Bisharp quickly batted his hand away with her sharp arms, making him pull back a bloodied hand.

When we got to the end of the alley, Grimsley pushed himself between some buildings. Bisharp stopped and looked at me, implying I needed to go first. I put down Lola and had her follow Grimsley as I followed her. It seemed like forever when we got out, and I stared at the place we had arrived at. Whereas the rest of Castelia was loud and tech-savvy, this one place was untouched by the bustling city. It was a small, but very green park. A few trees and bushes were scattered here and there, and pokemon you would normally expect in the forest pranced around. I looked up at Grimsley incredulously, and he just gave me his usual warm smile.

"The pokemon here are strong, but friendly. It would be best if you strengthened your team a bit before you go face the gym. So train to your heart's delight. I will be here to help you recover when you need it." He said as he leaned against the wall. I smiled as I turned to the park, observing curious and eager pokemon that stopped to look at us. I looked down at Lola, and I knew we both had the same thought as we ran to the pokemon.

"This is going to be fun."

TBC

Moar plotstuffs. I was hoping to meet Hilda in this chapter, but the way I had things scheduled kinda threw everything off. Vixen needs some training you know! She has only seriously used her Zorua once and hasn't even seen all of her Bagon's moves. If I was just going to Deux Ex Machina her all the way to the pokemon league I wouldn't have bothered writing this fanfic. Plus, I'm not that far in Black 2. I desperately need training there, Lola is only level 19 and she's my strongest. I can't take on a bug-type gym with a level 19 Deino. T_T


	16. Chapter 15: Unexpectations

For the next two hours, My team and I worked to the bone with our training. In that time, Lola had strengthened her Bite attack immensely, upgrading it into the deadly Crunch. With some unexpected help from a mischievous/annoying Eevee, she had also learned the move Roar, which might come in handy. The rest of the team also strengthened themselves immensely, helped in part by the Audino who were on-hand to help us, both in giving treatment and dealing punches. By the time I returned to a napping Grimsley, I felt like we could take on the Pokemon League right there.

"Master, Master! We're ready!" I said as I ran at the sleeping man. Lola, fueled by the excitement, ran past me and jumped on him, waking him up abruptly with a start. Though he had been asleep when I made my declaration, one look at me and Lola told him everything. He smiled as he stood up, stretching his arms and popping his neck. I gagged slightly at the wet sound.

"That's gross." I said as Lola rejoined me. Grimsley chuckled as he pushed between the buildings, Lola and I following him.

"But it feels pretty good. You'll understand when you get older and start getting joint pains." He replied.

"I'm only 15, and there is no way you are that old either. You're only like, 25 right?" I asked, making him snort.

"A little bit older than that, but yes. I spend most of my days haunched over though, so standing up and sitting up straight can be painful on some days." He replied as we got back into the alley.

"How come?" I asked as we passed the thugs. This time they made no move, even though Bisharp wasn't with us this time. I guess she was scarier than they thought.

"I make a living off gambling. Because of how tall and skinny I am though, I have to bend down to be on an even playing field." He replied, and it made me think for a moment.

"Wait, so you aren't paid by the pokemon league?" I asked.

"Of course I am, but all the money I get from that goes into caring for my own pokemon. The only money I spend on myself is the money I win on a good day." He said as we walked in the streets, making our way to the pokemon center. I stopped at that, making him stop and turn around, casting a curious glance at me.

"So…how many good days do you have?" I asked suspiciously. He smirked at me and reached out, patting my head softly.

"Enough that you don't need to worry. I assure you I am not that badly off, I won't spend myself into ruin. I've seen what happens to people who do that." He said, some seriousness leaking into his voice. He then smiled at me and started walking again, effectively ending the conversation. I had my doubts, but clearly he didn't want to hear it. For now it was okay, but I'm not going to let this go.

When we got to the pokemon center, there was a large crowd gathered in front. Grimsley and I pushed through the crowd to see Hilbert and Hilda signing autographs and taking pictures. Grimsley rolled his eyes as he turned to me, holding out his hand.

"I'll take your pokemon in to get treated. You should keep Lola with you though, both for protection and because they'll probably want to meet her. I'll meet up with you after they leave." He told me. I gave him an odd look, considering what he told me last night about being careful with my pokeballs, but then I realized I was being stupid. He was my teacher, my guide, he wouldn't hurt me, and he wouldn't take my pokemon without good reason. I took the balls containing Sorrel, Zachary and Sarah and handed them to him quickly, and he gave me a warm smile.

"I saw your hesitation there." He said, and I hung my head in shame.

"I'm sorry, Master." I said, but he reached over and patted my shoulder.

"Don't be, you were doing exactly what I told you to do. That kind of suspicion is a VERY good asset to you right now. If you think everything as carefully as you just did, you'll be just fine. I'll see you after you're done." He said, winking at me before disappearing into the crowd. With a deep breath, I walked forward and approached Hilbert and Hilda purposefully while Lola padded after me. The two teens turned to me and gave a curious tilt of their heads, but smiled when they saw Lola behind me.

"Ah, you must be Vixen, the Deino girl who called into the show yesterday. I'm Hilda and this is Hilbert. Hilbert, don't you have something to say to her?" Hilda asked her co-host.

"You're a little shorter than we expected. You sure you're a trainer?" He asked. I glared at him and Hilda elbowed his stomach, making him yelp.

"Okay okay! Sorry! Thanks for your advice. To be honest I DID raise my Hydreigon, but I caught him as a Zweilous. You can find them wild near the pokemon league. My Deino was a gift from a dragon breeder." He said, dipping his head. I smiled and put my hand on Lola's head, rubbing her horn.

"I'm just glad I could help." I replied. The pair smiled at me while Hilda dug into her bag, pulling out a small box and holding it out to me.

"You have no idea what a big help that was. Please, take this as our thanks." She said as I took the box. It was wrapped up in white wrapping paper and had a dark purple bow on top. I carefully plucked the bow off and stuck it at the base of Lola's horn, making the crowd laugh, before I tore the wrapping paper. I opened the box and inside was the armband of a brand-new X-Transceiver. I was amazed as I pulled it out, and I just about died when I turned it around.

"A Cross Transceiver Plus?! Oh my this is…this is too much!" I cried as I looked over the device. I had read about these on the internet and it had all the features! It was about the size of a smartphone, and was fully touch-screen capable, a Stylus clipped to the side. I turned it on and saw all the apps a pokemon trainer could want. A type-compatibility chart, a camera, a calling feature, a stopwatch, a notepad, global internet access, and a bunch more apps I hadn't looked at. In the box under the pad that the device was sitting on was a folding keypad that could plug into it so I could take notes more efficiently. I looked up at Hilda and Hilbert in shock as Hilda reached out and strapped the pink device on my wrist.

"Nonsense, every trainer needs a X-Transceiver. It's our style to give people the very best, so that's what we did with you. Put it to good use!" Hilbert said while Hilda nodded, smiling. I smiled back at them and couldn't help myself as I threw my arms around the pair, making the crowd gasp. They chuckled and hugged me back before pushing me away.

"Don't you have a Gym Battle to get to?" Hilda asked me with a smirk. I grinned back at her as I walked past them, Lola bounding after me. She looked up at me curiously as we entered the pokemon center.

'_You are very excited over their present. What does it do?_' She asked. I smiled as I approached Nurse Joy, requesting my pokemon after answering some questions to prove they were mine. I knelt down in front of Lola and held out my wrist so she could nose my new toy.

"Don't bite this one, this is special. This little hunk of metal and wires lets me do pretty much everything. I can write notes and keep journals on you guys, and look at the world's database for information. I can also call other people on it and talk to them anytime I want from anywhere I want. Like, I could call Cheran or Mom in Aspertia City and talk to them right now if I wanted." I told her as she sniffed it. She smiled at my summary of what it could do and sat down.

'_That sounds really neat! I wish I had something like that._' She said with a smile. I laughed and encircled her head, hugging her tightly as Nurse Joy brought my pokeballs out. I thanked her as I loaded them back onto my belt, and I decided to wait for Grimsley to show me where the gym was. So looking around in the lobby, I figured now was as good a time as any to play with my new X-Transceiver. I walked over to a seat and sat down as Lola hopped up in the seat beside me, laying her head in my lap while I unfolded the keypad and rested it on her head. I plugged it into my X-Transceiver which I then unstrapped from my wrist, strapping it onto her horn instead. I giggled as I looked at the pacified dragon, who was all but dead to the world.

"You make a great desk." I told her. She snickered as she put a paw on my calf.

'_I like being helpful._' Was all she said as I smiled. I touched the internet icon and started to browse the internet. Looking up information on anything and everything regarding the pokemon I currently held, and occasionally logging into the UNN forums to see what people were saying about Team Plasma.

An hour had gone by and I was still in the lobby of the pokemon center, typing on my keypad, and Grimsley still had not appeared. I frowned as I read a thread about Dragon-type pokemon. I was really worried.

'_Maybe he's buying another present for you?_' Lola offered, trying to ease my worry. I shook my head as I petted her down.

"No, there's no reason to. Grimsley's gifts are all functional, they serve a real purpose aside from pleasing me. I've gotten everything I need though." I told her, getting a few weird looks from passerby.

'_Perhaps he will meet you at the gym?_' Lola said calmly, though it was tinged with worry.

"Maybe, but he told me that he'd guide me through Castelia because of how easy it is to get lost here." I said with a sigh. I was hoping to get my match today and, hopefully, win the badge so I could start planning my next route. I decided to put it out of my mind and start making a post in the dragon thread, typing away when someone sat next to me. I paid little attention to my neighbor aside from noticing the clack of a keyboard from them. We both typed away in relative silence until I heard a frustrated sigh.

"No, that doesn't make sense." Muttered a female voice. I ignored it and poked the post button on my touchscreen, moving to another thread and reading it.

"That doesn't work either." Said the woman, and I started to grow irritated, but kept silent as I started another reply.

"Gah! This shouldn't be so hard should it? Come on, come to Mama." The woman said, and my eye twitched as I closed my eyes, turning to my neighbor.

"Think you could be a little more quiet please? I'm trying to read something that could help me." I asked as politely as I could. I received no answer, but the woman did seem to quiet down, so I turned my head back and opened my eyes again, rereading the post above mine. I had started to work on my post again when the woman piped up.

"Hmm, needing silence to read…yes, that is perfect! Thanks so much. So, you are the protagonist in Grimsley's story?" Said the woman. I blinked slowly as I turned my head to face my neighbor. I was greeted by a pair of glasses that shielded big, expectant yet out of focus eyes. The woman's face was framed by thick purple hair, cut in a short bowl cut. Her wear consisted of varying shades of purple, and she wore a massive ribbon around her neck, held together by a pink brooch. As she leaned towards me, she kept her laptop braced on her lap, large paragraphs typed on the screen, I knew exactly who I was facing. I unplugged my keypad from my X-Transceiver and folded it up, looking at her with a polite smile.

"Hello, Shauntal."

TBC

A shorter chapter. Goody. Yet it took me all day to write. I sympathize with poor Shauntal here *who I kept calling Shauntel, oops*. I literally had SOOO many things planned for this and the next couple of chapters, and I STILL haven't totally resolved everything yet. These next couple of chapters are going to be kinda touch and go. I hope I can string the events together in a way that makes sense. Sorry!

Also: I actually like popping my joints, especially my back. Years of having a bad posture makes sitting/standing for more than 2 hours painful. I have to lay down flat and wait until the crackling stops, but it feels soooo good.


	17. Chapter 16: Shauntal

Grimsley was going to pay for this. He would pay dearly. Ohh boy, by the time he finished paying me back for this, he'll have one foot in the grave.

All the things he had told me about Shauntal were true, and he left me alone with her. The woman was out of her god damn mind. She would speak in incomplete sentences, often drifting off and typing something on her computer. And when she wasn't doing that, she was interrupting the conversation with a sudden writing epiphany. I know more about her freaking novel, which sounded surprisingly lovely, than I do about her being here. It took a LOT of patience, but I managed to coax her reason out of her.

"Oh that? Helping with the investigation of course! As passionate as I am about telling stories, I am still a member of the Elite 4. I have a job to do." She told me. Okay, so she wasn't completely off her rocker. She smiled at me and tilted her head at me, her eyes still somewhat glazed over.

"Besides, once everything gets wrapped up here, I may be able to incorporate this dastardly deed into a crime novel!" Then again, maybe not.

"So uh, do you KNOW where Grimsley is?" I asked. She looked like she was thinking it over, but turned to her laptop, pulling up a new window.

"A young Purrloin, lost in the world without a guiding light, seeks out a lone Liepard for the comforts of a family it never had." She responded. If this were an anime, I would have sweatdropped.

"Are you high?" I asked her. She looked up at me suddenly and smiled.

"Hmm? No. But I did get high once as part of my research for a book. Why do you ask?" She responded. Anyone who says TV rots your brain and reading a book is better would change their tone after meeting this woman. How she managed to get into the Pokemon League and escape the asylum is beyond me. Still, she seemed harmless enough. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, even though I felt my brain cells die by the thousands the longer I talked to her.

"No reason. Wait, you got high just so you could write a book?" Make that millions.

"Oh that? Well yes. One time, my publisher asked for another thriller from me, but I had been writing too much horror at the time. Too much gore and death and murder is bad for the reader, and it is especially bad for the writer. I would go insane if I had to write about the wicked and deadly all the time." She told me.

'_You mean she isn't already?_' I heard Lola ask. It took a lot of willpower not to laugh at that, it was the very thing I was thinking of.

"So instead, I decided to write something that would help people. Something that would really make a difference. There was a big problem with drugs and whatnot back then, especially the really nasty ones. So I did an experiment. I don't condone this, and please don't ever do it, but I managed to procure some of the favorites. Both the cheap and the expensive, by street standards. I did a different one every three days." She had told me. I blinked at her and considered running away, but for some reason my internal 'This is a bad person GTFO' radar wasn't going off, so I continued to listen.

"After I went through the stuff I had bought, I went right into rehab. The recovery was long and painful, and I wanted to die." She said as she looked up at the ceiling.

"Why would you do that to yourself?" I asked her, drawing her attention back to me. She stared at me with a creepy, open-mouthed smile.

"Because it gave me the perfect inspiration! I wrote about everything I had gone through, from purchase to release, and was able to bring it all together in a story that detailed exactly the kind of things that happened to me while I was going through it. It was a year of pure hell, and I knew exactly what I needed to tell everyone so that they would not suffer it. The book became one of my best-selling ever, and I got the Best Author of the Year award for it. Neither of those were as important to me as the effect my book had on people. Having read the experience in a way they could understand, the people of Unova, and in other regions as well, turned away from these horrible things. Drug use went down considerably." She said with her creepy smile. I blinked at her words. She had done all of that just to get the public to stop torturing itself with drugs? A bit extreme, but at least it worked. I hope no one else takes the route she did to make a point though, especially where drugs are concerned. You don't need a book written by a crazy lady to know that drugs are bad and will make your life hell.

We sat in silence for a moment, until I suddenly got annoyed upon remembering my earlier question. She sidetracked me!

"Hey wait a second, you said you came to help with the investigation, right?" I asked her, making it clear that I was NOT going to put up with any bullshit much longer.

"Yes I did. You pay attention! Very good!" She told me, clapping her hands. I began wondering if a jury would find it in their hearts to convict me of a crime if I strangled this woman?

'_Focus, Vixen. Remember what you want. You want to find Grimsley._' Lola said, trying to keep me calm. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before I continued.

"Do you know where Grimsley is then? He told me he'd meet me here after Hilbert and Hilda were gone and I've been waiting for a long time. Did he get pulled into a meeting about the investigation or something?" I asked her hopefully. Shauntal's expression didn't change as she stayed silent, and I wasn't sure if I had spoken my question or just thought it.

"No. Even if there WAS any sort of meeting about what went on, he would have excused himself to be on time for his prior commitments. Being from a prim and proper family, it is not in his nature to be late for anything without a good reason. Even if he broke all of his limbs he'd pull himself with his chin to be on-time." She said. I guess that was the closest to a straight answer as I was going to get from her. At least she said it in a way that made it kind of funny, it made the lump in my stomach smaller than it would have been. I was still worried. I took the X-Transceiver off Lola's horn and set it aside so that I could hug her head, trying to keep myself together. Lola echoed my worry with a soft whine, and I closed my eyes tightly to fight the tears. What if something bad happened? I felt a soft hand on my shoulder, and I cracked open an eye to see Shauntal looking at me with a soft smile on her face. She almost looked sane.

"You have no reason to worry. Grimsley can take care of himself. After all, he is a member of the Elite 4! Among the best of the best! A hero to many! Nothing bad ever happens to heroes in stories!" She declared. I chuckled slightly and decided to beat her at her own game.

"Actually, in a good story, the hero DOES have to face some hardship, and a little torture. Besides, aren't I the hero in my own story? A lot of what makes the hero a hero is their will to help their teacher who gets kidnapped by the bad guy." I said with a smirk. Shauntal thought for a moment before smiling and nodding.

"Yes that is true. But then there is reality. We are in the real world, where people are smart. None are smarter than Grimsley. I promise you he is fine. It looks to me like you are on a quest for the Pokemon League, right? I will lead you to the gym if you give me a good battle I can write about." She told me as she took my X-Transceiver and reattached it to my wrist. I blinked at her as Lola jumped out of my lap.

"That has to have been the most coherent thing you have said so far. I'm ready to go when you are." I said. She blinked slowly at me in response before closing her computer.

"Really? Well I'm sorry if I confuse you. I confuse a lot of people. Let's go, your adventure awaits!" She said, pointing towards the door. I sighed as I got up alongside her. I wasn't entirely sure about this, but the sooner I got to the gym, the better. Maybe after I fight the Gym Leader, they can help me look for Grimsley so that I know he's okay. As we left the pokemon center, I couldn't help but notice a pair of nonhuman eyes staring at me from the darkness of an alley. I wanted to investigate it, but with Shauntal near me I didn't dare give her an excuse to go into ANOTHER literary monologue. I just followed the woman closely and tried to focus on nothing but the battle ahead.

TBC

A filler chapter. The next one is my gym battle. I decided to stop there because I have a headache, and writing an entire gym battle would have made this one too long. I'd be up for hours. And now for my afterthoughts.

The drug thing is just something I came up with on the fly. I knew when I first brought her up that when I introduced Shauntal, I wanted her to be a mentally unstable yet still coherent person. I'm trying to write her so that it seems like she is talking nonsense and not paying attention, but in reality is fully aware of everything that is going on. Like her Manga-self. That's where the novel about drugs came in. I thought "You know, the way Shauntal appears and acts, I could really see her torturing herself for the sake of inspiration. But as a twist, she'll do it as a way to keep her good nature and help the rest of the world." As far as I know, there is no such book as the one she described. It was all for the sake of introducing her character, to give everyone a look at the inside of her mind.

So where has Grimsley gone to? What is with the eyes in the alley? Will Vixen be able to win her badge even though her mind has to contend with the unexpected absence of her mentor and the monster lurking in the alleys of the city?


	18. Chapter 17: The Insect Badge

Whoever designed the Castelia Gym has a warped sense of humor. After making it inside of the building, I stared at the sparkly dust that floated serenely through the air. The particles shined in multiple colors, giving the gym a calm, colorful feel to it while large balls of silk sat on the ground. I smiled as I walked forward, and I turned around to Shauntal to ask her about it but she was nowhere in sight. I put my hands on my hips and frowned.

"Great. The one time I actually WANT Shauntal's warped input and she isn't around. That figures." I complained.

'_Look at it this way, you don't have to put up with her distracting monologues._' Said a sleepy Lola within her pokeball. I smiled and grabbed the multicolored capsule on my neck.

"Yeah, I guess that is a good thing. Now, where is the gym leader?" I wondered. I felt something poking my ankle and looked down to see a Sewaddle. I smiled and squatted to reach down and pet it.

"Aren't you just the most adorable little thing! Say sweetie, think you can help me find the gym leader?" I asked. Sewaddle nodded and started to crawl away, and I followed it, for lack of a better option. It crawled over to one of the giant silk balls and started climbing until it was on top, nodding furiously.

"So, I'm supposed to get on it?" I asked. It shook its head briefly before doing it's furious bobbing again, and I wasn't sure what it was trying to tell me. Luckily, I had just the thing to help. I grabbed Lola's pokeball and tossed it, my little Deino standing in front of the ball of silk.

"Can you ask it what it wants me to do?" I asked her. She tilted her head up at Sewaddle, who looked back down at her.

"Deino! Deino dei?" She called out. Sewaddle crawled down the ball until it was even with Lola.

"Sewaddle Se wa wa." It replied. Lola's mouth dropped and she tilted her head, and the two continued to talk. After a few minutes, Sewaddle climbed back up to the top of the ball and started climbing the thick string, going up. Lola shook her head slowly as she turned around to face me.

'_You aren't going to believe this. You have to go inside the silk and climb up the inside of the cable._' Lola told me. I blinked several times before I burst out laughing, falling over and laughing like a maniac. Lola growled as she nipped my ankle, making me yelp and glare at her.

"Wait, you're serious?" I asked her. She nodded as the door to the gym opened. I looked behind me and saw Cory strut towards me with pride. He had a blue pokemon walking beside him, and the friendly smile it gave me told me it was Wotter. He had evolved! Cory stopped in front of me and sneered before he kicked his leg out, hitting my ribs and knocking me away. Lola growled and leapt forward to retaliate, but I grabbed her stubby tail and held her back. Cory was not worth getting arrested over.

"Oh sorry, I thought you were a crappy doormat. So what are you doing here loser?" He asked me as Wotter gave me a sad, apologetic smile. I stood up, carefully so as not to give Cory the satisfaction of knowing he harmed me. I gave him a warm smile as crossed my arms.

"On my way to badge number 3, of course. What about you? I'm sure that with your excellent skills, you already HAVE 3 badges and are pursuing a fourth?" I asked him. He glared at me as I flashed my Basic and Toxic badges to him, and snorted as he shoved me out of the way. He climbed on top of the ball of silk and grabbed the cable, attempting to pull himself up while Wotter walked up beside me, rubbing the spot Cory had kicked me and muttering to me before he rejoined his trainer. Lola rubbed her head on my hip while I watched Cory slide down over and over.

'_You should have let me go at him. A good Crunch to the leg would have taught him some manners._' Lola said with a snort as I rolled my eyes.

"And gotten me arrested and you possibly destroyed as a dangerous pokemon. I'd rather not take too many chances without Grimsley around. If something has happened to him then he can't help us when we get in trouble." I whispered as Cory slid down once more, yelling in frustration.

'_Are you sure you want to do this? I can feel your anxiety, Vixen. Maybe we should go back out and look for him?_' Lola said. I shook my head at her.

"Getting lost in the big city with thugs and mysterious things in the alley isn't going to help Grimsley OR me. We'll just have to trust Shauntal's assurance that he is okay. So, crawl inside the silk and climb in the cable, huh? Alright." I told her as I recalled her. Placing her pokeball back on my lanyard I contemplated telling Cory about Sewaddle's instructions, but decided that he would most likely beat me as thanks. I reached out and pulled the threads apart, finding they turned into a sort of door as I crawled inside, unnoticed by my rival. It was totally dark, and I couldn't see a thing.

'_Oh no, what a shame._' I heard Lola say, sarcasm oozing out of her voice. I grinned sheepishly as I reached up, finding a small rope.

'_Sorry.'_ I replied as I climbed up.

'_You really think you can trust Shauntal? She scares me Vixen._' Lola told me as I climbed, feeling something getting pushed away and Cory yelled. I must have knocked him off, oops.

'_Yeah, I do. She's really weird, but she knows what she is talking about. Who knows? Maybe she left because she is out looking for Grimsley right now. She probably wanted to make sure I got to the gym safely before she did._' I said as I pulled myself into the inside of another dark cocoon. I felt around until I found the spot where the threads were weakest, and pushed out, finding myself on a platform. I looked around and saw another cocoon, quickly making my way over to it before Cory caught up to me and took his anger at not figuring this out first on me. As I crawled inside and started climbing the cable, I felt Lola poking my mind.

'_Well, if you say so. As long as it makes you feel better. You're my trainer, I have to trust you to know what's best._' Lola told me. I sighed and stopped mid-climb, resting my face against the soft silk.

'_But I don't know what is best Lola. If I did then you would have beaten your pack the second time we encountered them, and Cory would have lost when we battled him._' I said as I started climbing again.

'_I'll admit we did bite off more than we could chew with them, but we learned from it and beat them again. And you DID know what was best and did the right thing against Cory. He would have killed Wotter if he kept it up. You come through for us when it matters, and that is all we care about. You are a great trainer._' Lola told me as I finally got to the top, popping my head up from the floor to see Shauntal argue with a tall, brown-haired man in front of a canvas.

'_I'm still learning though. That's part of why I want to know where Grimsley is._' I told her as I pulled myself out, feeling queasy as I challenged the man to a gym battle.

Lola told me that the trainer knows best. But sometimes pokemon know better than their trainers. I should have listened when Lola told me not to go through with my gym battle. It was a three on three match but all 3 of my pokemon were taken down by Burgh's first pokemon. It didn't help that two of my pokemon are weak to bug-type but I really thought Zachary's Toxic would help where Lola's Dragonbreath failed. I guess I was just too tense, and that's why Zachary, Lola, and Sarah weren't able to win. I sat on the curb just outside the gym, resting my head in my knees while my pokemon rested in their pokeballs. I needed to get my head clear, and the only way to do that was to find Grimsley once and for all and put my fears to rest. I picked my head up and stood, determination oozing from me, and I started to walk. Where? I didn't know. But I just KNEW I had to find Grimsley. I made my way into the street, and I felt someone following me. Turning around, I saw Cory with the biggest grin on his face ever. He looked positively smug. I rolled my eyes and started to walk away, but he leapt in front of me and whipped out his Insect Badge.

"What's the matter itty bitty Vixy? Don't you like your badge? Oh wait, you don't have one!" He started. I sighed and turned away, not wanting to deal with his crap, and that got me his wrath. When I turned away he must have lifted his leg, because I felt a shoe firmly plant itself on my butt and push me forward, throwing me into someone's arms. I looked up, expecting Grimsley or Shauntal to have caught me, but instead I stared into the eyes of Team Plasma. My eyes widened and I tried to get away, but the man held me firmly while his buddies groped me, ripping off my pokeballs and running away.

"Cory! Help! They're taking my pokemon!" I called in vain. I heard him laugh even as the man who held me threw me down, running off with his buddies. I struggled to get up, but Cory held me down with a muddy foot. I gritted my teeth and quickly retreated into my mind.

'_Lola! Lola can you hear me?! Lola, you have to get out of your pokeball! You and the others got stolen! Lola! Lola! _' I called mentally, but it was no use. She was too exhausted from the battle to hear me. I screamed in agony, begging someone, anyone to help me, and instead I got a blow to the back of my head.

"Stop yelling, bitch. Come on, quit playing around." I heard Cory say. I felt white-hot anger well up inside me, and I turned my head to look at Cory with pure hatred.

"'Quit playing around'? QUIT PLAYING AROUND!? YOU BASTARD MY POKEMON JUST GOT STOLEN FROM ME AND YOU WATCHED IT HAPPEN! YOU COWARD! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO ANYTHING?!" I scream as I threw myself up, delivering a swift kick to Cory's leg. A crowd gathered as he fell over, his jeans, red shirt, and black hair getting covered in mud and sludge. He made a disgusted sound as he picked himself up, taking note of the mud.

"Yuck! Look what you did you idiot! It's going to take at least 5 showers to even START getting this mud out of my hair." He complained. I strode over and grabbed the collar of his shirt, slugging him with all my power.

"Look at what _I _did? How about we look at what you DIDN'T do. A bunch of masked men just grabbed me, touched me, and stole ALL of my pokemon, and you are worried about a little dirt? You are worthless Cory. Whether you help me or not, I'm going to get my pokemon back. You know what? Give me Wotter." I demanded, glaring at him. Cory glared back as he snarled at me.

"Why should I?!" He demanded, moving to assault me. I cracked my knuckles at him and kept my eyes on him.

"Because if you don't, I will go right to Officer Jenny and tell her all about how you gave me over to pokemon thieves and helped them steal my pokemon." I told him bluntly. He stopped and looked at me oddly, like he was scared.

"Wait a second…you're serious aren't you? Those guys really DID take all of your pokemon?" He asked. Fighting back tears, I just continued to stare at him while my knuckles turned white from how tightly my fists were clenched. Cory and I said nothing as we stared each other down. After awhile, Cory sighed and reached for one of his pokeballs, holding it out to me.

"Yapper will be better. Growlithe are better trackers than Dewott, and his fire attacks will help. I'll go find help while you find your pokemon." He said. I slowly reached out and took the pokeball from him, giving him a slow nod.

"Thank you." I said. He glared at me and clenched his fist.

"Shut up, bitch. I'm only helping you because our audience will report me to the police if I don't, but you owe me." He said, turning away. I made a disgusted sound as I also turned my back, heading in the direction the thieves went.

"I owe you nothing, you coward." I replied. I don't know if he heard me or not, but at that moment in time, I didn't care. I threw the pokeball he handed me and a peppy little Growlithe leapt out. He ran around in circles for a moment before stopping in front of me, tilting his head. I knelt down in front of him and slowly stroked his head, feeling my control slipping as the tears rolled down my cheeks. Yapper reared up and put his paws on my shoulders, licking my face while he whined. I raised my hands and slowly wrapped my arms around the little fire dog, and I buried my face in his fur, crying hard. Yapper whined and licked my neck, trying his best to cheer me up, but it was little use. Although he was nice, he was not my pokemon. He was not Zachary or Sorrel or Sarah. He was not Lola.

TBC

So Vixen didn't get her Badge, she got her ass kicked by Cory, and because of that ass-kicking she got her pokemon stolen. And what's with all the sweet pokemon Cory's getting? Seriously, he's a jerk! Why are all of his pokemon sweethearts? At least he's not a total douche, he DID loan her his Growlithe to find her pokemon.

I'm pretty much saying "fuck you" to my Black 2 run now, lol. I won my battle against Burgh flawlessly with Sorrel and Lola, but for the sake of story-telling, I had Vixen lose because really, if you were as worried and anxious as she was about unrelated things, would you be able to concentrate on your gym battle? By the way, in case you're wondering, she used Sarah, Zachary and Lola, in that order. She was so anxious that she forgot Fire's advantage over Bug. I didn't write it out because I didn't feel like writing a losing battle, I want to get this poke-napping thing done quickly because it's driving me batshit. I hate coming up to a point in the story that has sooo many ways it can be written. It's like trying to talk to everyone and following a million conversations at once.


	19. Chapter 18: Partial Reunion

After releasing all my pent-up anxiety on Yapper, I was able to compose myself long enough to tell Yapper what happened. The sweet little fire dog understood what I wanted and immediately went to work finding the scent. It only took a few sniffs in the spot I stood to find it, and he ran off with me close behind.

"Growl!" Yapper barked, running ahead. I ran close behind him, navigating the streets with ease as we pursued our quarry. Being small really came in handy sometimes!

"Go Yapper! Find them! Find them quickly so we can get my pokemon back!" I called ahead. Yapper howled again as he continued to run, and we came up to the sea. Yapper stopped for a moment to give me a chance to breathe while he kept his nose on the scent. I haunched over and panted heavily, but I couldn't take too long to rest. Taking a few deep breaths, I stood up and looked at the Growlithe with a nod. Nodding back, he looked for the scent again, and we were off. We must have looked quite odd to everyone as we neared a gate, rounding a corner and going to a dock, but I cared very little as Yapper suddenly jumped over the side. I blinked several times as I looked over the side.

Yapper sat on a concrete walkway, looking up at me with a big smile. With a shrug, I carefully climbed on top of the railing, leaping over and landing next to Yapper. My legs felt like jelly, and I had to rest. I sighed and rubbed my legs as Yapper sat across from me, waiting patiently. I stood up and prepared to follow Yapper when he began to growl. I turned around to see what he was growling at when an arm reached out and snagged my neck, holding me up in a powerful chokehold.

"Look at this boys, it's raining cuties. This ain't a place for little girls sweetheart." Said a gravely voice. I said nothing as I gripped the man's arm, trying to pull him off at the same time as keeping myself elevated so that I could breathe. Yapper snarled as he spit flames at the man, but he was slapped away by an oozing, purple arm that quickly grabbed him. Yapper yelped as he struggled in its grip, and the man laughed dangerously as his cohorts joined him.

"Great catch boss. This one is going to be fun." Said one of them. Fear welled up inside of me at what he implied, and I struggled harder against my captor's grip. He chuckled and squeezed my neck tighter, and I knew there was no way I was going to get out of this unscathed.

'_Lola, Master…Help…._' I mentally called, though I didn't expect either my Deino OR Grimsley to come out and save me. I was ready to give in and hope they'd spare my life when my captor dropped me suddenly with a yelp. Squeezing my eyes shut for a moment, I carefully opened them to see what was going on. The giant, burly man who had grabbed me was now clutching his wrist in pain. I blinked for a minute before looking down, seeing a round, blue object. I picked it up and looked at it closely. It was a poker chip, but where did it come from?

"Vixen! Get away!" I heard a familiar voice yell. Suddenly I remembered I was in danger, and pushed myself up. Fueled by adrenaline, I ran towards the giant, purple blob to rescue Yapper.

"Yapper! Use a fire attack to get yourself out!" I commanded. The Growlithe growled as his mouth became drenched in flames, and he bit down on the pokemon that held him.

"Muuuuuk!" The pokemon cried as it let go. Yapper fell out of its grasp and ran to me, and I scooped him up, hugging him tightly.

"Stop that brat!" Yelled the guy who had previously held me. His cronies surrounded me and Yapper, and I held the Growlithe tight, glaring at the men.

"You guys only had me the first time because you snuck up on me! It won't happen again, now go away!" I yelled, running at one. He threw his fist forward to try and punch me, but Yapper wasn't going to have it. He opened his mouth and bit down on the mans fist with Fire Fang again, causing the guy to yell and pull it back. I stepped around him and tried to run, but this time I was blocked by two guys. I gritted my teeth and clutched Yapper tight, but I saw something fluttering past the two guards. Holding Yapper tight in one arm, I reached out with the other and grabbed the object between the two men, and I was pulled past them. I felt a hand pry mine off the object and grasp it tightly, pulling me into a hole in the wall. I felt myself dragged downwards, down a flight of stairs that I was able to climb down by some miracle, and we rounded a corner. I felt someone pulling me against them and put a hand over my mouth, and Yapper whined as another arm encircled my stomach to grab his mouth as well.

We stayed absolutely still and silent as the men from above stomped around, but without much more light other than what little made it past the opening I was pulled through, it didn't take long for our pursuers to give up the chase. I sighed in relief and relaxed as the hand left my mouth and stomach. I heard a deep panting and looked at the dark form beside me. I should have been scared, but for some reason I felt an overwhelming relief as Yapper jumped out of my arms, jumping between me and my hero before lighting his mouth aflame. When the light filled the tunnel, I wanted to cry.

"Are you…alright….Vixen?" Grimsley asked as he haunched over, trying to catch his breath from running so hard. I felt tears of joy and relief leave my eyes as I threw myself on the man, clinging to him for dear life and crying on him. Grimsley wrapped his arms around me and hushed me, sitting down and pulling me into his lap. He laid his head on top of mine as I cried, trying his best to calm me down. As my crying slowed, Grimsley pulled out a handkerchief from one of his pockets, carefully dabbing the tears away. When the tears stopped flowing, I took a shuddering breath, calming down completely.

"There now, that's better." He said softly. I looked up and saw a warm smile plastered on his face, and I felt myself losing it again as I fell back on him, hugging tightly.

"What happened to you? I was so worried." I told him. He hugged me and patted my back softly.

"I know and I'm sorry. I got…hung up." He said with some emotion in his voice that I could not recognize. I let go and climbed off of him as we both stood up, and we smiled at each other before I felt Yapper tap my leg, and I remembered what I was doing with a sigh. Grimsley tilted his head at me in curiosity as I looked up at him.

"My pokemon were stolen. Team Plasma grabbed me and held me still while they took my pokeballs, and Yapper and I were trying to find them when I got in trouble." I said, bending down to scoop up the little Growlithe. I gave him a hug as he turned off his Fire Fang to give me a small, wet kiss, and when he turned it back on I saw Grimsley looking sadly at me.

"I'm so sorry Vixen. I really am." He said, looking absolutely miserable as though he blamed himself.

"It's not your fault. It was my own fault for leaving the gym unattended." I said with a sigh. Grimsley made a curious sound as his brow furrowed.

"The gym? You were at the gym? Why did you leave the pokemon center? And how did you get there?" He asked. I died a little inside, feeling like I had failed my master, until he asked me how I got to the gym, and then I glared at him.

"Did you know Shauntal was in town?" I asked him. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open slightly.

"Oh my god." He said as I nodded slowly at him.

"Mmm hmm. And guess who got to spend a good 2 hours with her?" I asked. The look on Grimsley's face was one of pure horror.

"I am so sorry." He told me. He hung his head in shame and sighed, and I couldn't help but grin at him as I raised a hand and patted his shoulder.

"Did you know she went on a drug binge just so she could get inspiration for a novel?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Yes, and that was one of the most horrible years in the pokemon league I had to ever go through. If you think she is scary now, you do NOT want to see her on PCP." He said with a shudder, making me laugh.

"I can only imagine. Anyway, she took me to the gym." I told him with a smile. He smiled back as he straightened up.

"So, did you get the badge?" He asked. I frowned and hung my head, shaking it slowly.

"I couldn't concentrate, I was too worried about you. Lola and I waited for you for an hour after I was done with Hilda and Hilbert. Shauntal appeared sometime after and tried to take my mind off of your disappearance by offering to take me to the gym and telling me about some of her work." I said with a sigh. Grimsley put a hand on my shoulder and squeezed softly, and I looked up at him.

"That sounds like her alright. One thing about Shauntal, she's rarely straightforward but everything she says is for a reason. Listen, I'm sorry for not coming back. The truth is my pokemon got stolen too. Team Plasma jumped me on the way into the pokemon center, and I had to give them my pokeballs in order to keep them from stealing yours from me." He told me with a sad smile. That explained why he looked so crushed when I told him my pokemon were gone! He had given everything up to protect me and thought it was in vain!

"You gave up your pokemon for mine? Why?" I asked.

"Because, you are my student, almost like a daughter to me. My pokemon will understand the action without any harm on our relationship, and in fact they would have been angrier with me if I had sacrificed your pokemon just to keep mine. Especially Bisharp." He told me. I blinked as I hugged Yapper before I responded.

"Well Yapper can find them. All of them. He was already on the scent when you had rescued me. Think you can get it again boy?" I said, directing my last question to Yapper. The Growlithe barked at me as I set him down, and he turned off his Fire Fang again as he tried to locate the scent.

"So where did you get that Growlithe anyway?" Grimsley asked as Yapper used Fire Fang again, running down a pipe. Grimsley and I followed closely after him.

"He's Cory's pokemon." I replied in between breaths.

"Cory? You mean the lad I almost sent my Liepard after when he got too close?" He asked.

"Yeah. See, it was actually HIS fault I lost my pokemon. After I lost I left the gym to find you, and he kicked my butt, literally, when I wouldn't pay attention to his bragging about getting the Insect Badge instead of me. The momentum from his kick sent me into the arms of Team Plasma, and I guess he thought it was a publicity stunt or something because he didn't try to help me even though I all but begged him to." I said. I could hear Grimsley growl low in his throat, and looking at him I saw nothing but murderous intent.

"What else happened?" He asked in a tone that suggested I should not leave anything out.

"Well, after they got my pokeballs, they threw me on the ground and ran off, and Cory put his foot on my back to keep me from getting up and going after them. After they got away, I threw him off my back and pretty much beat the shit out of him. I called him out and demanded he give me his Dewott, since he seems to like me and disapproves of his trainer's treatment of me. He realized that my pokemon really DID get taken, so he gave me his Growlithe to look for the thieves because Growlithe are better trackers. Then he told me he was going to get help and ran off, and Yapper and I started tracking them down. Then he went over the railing of that dock and then we joined up with you." I told him. Grimsley looked incredibly angry, but only for a moment before his composure came back.

"As furious as I am about that, we don't have time to worry about him. Don't worry Vixen, we'll get our pokemon back. And after that, I will make sure he does NOT get away with this." Grimsley said darkly.

"Master, there is no need for that. Cory despises me, yes, but even he realized how wrong this was. He's actually trying to make it up to me now. If he wasn't, he would not have lent me his Growlithe." I told him.

"Yes but did he do that because he realized his mistake, or did he do it out of fear?" Grimsley asked. I was about to answer when I realized he was right. I WAS pretty pissed at him.

"I-I don't know. Why do you know that though?" I asked. Grimsley chuckled as Yapper's Fire Fang died out again so he could regain the scent.

"We of the Dark-Type Affinity can be quite horrifying when we want to be. Only those of the Fire and Dragon Affinities are scarier than we. You especially have to watch out for gentle souls like you, Vixen. The nicest ones have the nastiest tempers." He said with a smirk as the light returned. I grinned sheepishly for a moment before we continued to run, stopping when we saw a light ahead. Petting Yapper to make him cease his Fire Fang before I picked him up, Grimsley pushed me behind him as we cautiously approached the light. We made it to an opening in the pipe, and Grimsley slowly stuck his head out, and I could tell by the way he clenched his fist that our search had ended. He looked at me with a dangerous smile, and I couldn't help but return the dangerous look as we both voiced the same revelation with a shared bloodthirst.

"We found them."

TBC

And Grimsley returns! And he got mugged too! What a bummer. At least we know he's somewhat okay too right? Right?

I need to think carefully about the next chapter. The sooner this multiple-roads thing with this side-plot the better. It's driving me mad. In the meantime, enjoy the fluff.

Also I totally got off-track with Grimsley's tendencies. I was focusing more on his Aristocracy and less on his gambling tendencies. I'll try to bring more of that into the fic but I won't make any promises. I don't know a whole lot about some of the more popular gambling games like Roulette or Poker or Craps, so I can't make a whole lot of references and witty one-liners about it like I can with Shauntal's obsession with writing. I HAD to pick the sexy Dark guy to be my protagonist's mentor ;3;


	20. Chapter 19: To the Rescue!

It was frustrating to say the least. I sat in the access pipe with anger and hatred festering within me as I watched Team Plasma scurry around in the sewers like the dirty Raticate they were. I saw them as they loaded crate after crate with stolen pokeballs, but one group caught my eye. The group that was dominating their new partners just away from their teammates loaded pokeballs. I saw mine and Grimsley's pokemon try their best to fight off Team Plasma so that they could flee, but the cattle prods the men and women used made it difficult for them to move around. Sorrel, Liepard and Bisharp tried their best to shield everyone else, who cowered behind them with angry red welts all over their bodies. I clenched my fist and made to stand, but Grimsley grabbed the bottom of my jacket, pulling me back down.

"We're out-gunned, out-numbered, and horribly out-matched. Don't do it." Grimsley warned quietly. I looked at him angrily, but it didn't faze him as he returned the deadly stare.

"So I'm supposed to just stand here and watch while they abuse our pokemon? Grimsley, they are my friends, my family. Both my pokemon and yours. Bisharp is like the older sister I never had! And you expect me to just sit here and watch?!" I asked, my voice rising slightly. He reached up and grabbed me, cupping a hand over my mouth and pulling me down as a light shined in the pipe.

"What was that?" Someone asked.

"Probably just a Zubat or something. Filthy creatures. Just get back to work." Said another as the light faded. We were safe again, but Grimsley gave no indication of letting me go or releasing my mouth. He held onto me tightly while he took a few deep breaths, as though calming himself down.

"Do you think it is easy for me to make that decision? Do you think even for a SECOND that I WANT to watch my pokemon suffer this abuse? Vixen I've had Bisharp for many years, she has been a great friend and a great advisor to me. Liepard was my mother's pet until she was cast out after my family fell into financial ruin. All of my pokemon are special to me, and I'd give ANYTHING to protect them." He told me firmly, letting my mouth go as his arm dropped, encircling my chest as he gave me a tight hug.

"I want to go down there and stop them just as much as you do, but it won't do us any good to go barging down there without a plan. Our pokemon won't stand a chance if we get captured or killed." He said with his voice breaking slightly. I shifted in his arms and laid against him, hugging him back tightly.

"I can't stand this, Master." I whined. He rubbed my back in small circles as he held me.

"I know, but we must be patient. Let me tell you something I learned in the casinos, Vixen. This will help you not just in gambling but in life as well." He said as I pulled away slightly to look at his eyes, which were slightly puffy.

"The odds are ALWAYS in favor of the house, sometimes so great that it is almost impossible to win, and sometimes so meagerly that it's almost even. But there is always a way to win, no matter which game you play." He told me. I sniffled and laid my head on his chest.

"How?" I asked. He sighed and kept rubbing my back as he relaxed.

"A well-planned strategy. You must consider all of the cards, all of the possible outcomes, all of the sides on the dice, and figure out how to use each one to your advantage. No matter what the outcome is, if you are smart you can make it work for you. You can outmatch even a royal flush with a near-straight hand if you know how." He told me.

"Isn't that when you bluff though? Only way I see it that's the only way you CAN beat such a high hand." I asked, making him chuckle.

"And that, my dear, is precisely why many gamblers lose more often than they win. You must consider ALL factors if you want to win." He told me, and I was horribly confused, looking up at him.

"Like what?" I responded, making him chuckle.

"Like the extra cards your opponent has hidden in their sleeve, or the bag of drugs sticking out of their pocket, or the angry spouse outside looking for their unfaithful partner." He said, and I blinked at him.

"Blackmail?" I piped, making him snort.

"No, that's cold even for me. No I simply stall until Karma catches up with them, though sometimes I help it along by staring at the offensive object until someone catches it." He said with a chuckle. I laughed with him and yawned, exhausted from my incredibly long day. Grimsley put his hand on the back of my head and cradled me against his chest.

"Get some rest Vixen, you've had a rough few hours. Yapper and I will keep an eye on things. I'll try to think of a plan while you sleep." Grimsley said softly. I yawned and nodded, curling into him as he sat up straighter, making me sit on his lap. The last thing I saw before I closed my eyes was Grimsley looking out the pipe with longing.

"We'll get them back." He whispered as I let sleep overtake me.

A few hours later, I felt myself pulled out of sleep with thoughts of fear and distress clouding my mind. I hissed from the pain of these thoughts and clutched my head, and I felt a pair of arms tighten on me.

"What's wrong?" Grimsley asked. I cracked open an eye and looked at his worried face, and I remembered where I was despite the chaos in my head. My eyes widened as I leapt out of Grimsley's lap, crawling towards the entrance of the pipe to look out. Liepard and Bisharp had gone down, but not before they had released Lola, who was like a feral pokemon. She launched Dragonbreath after Dragonbreath, keeping the guys with the cattle-prods away, as she screeched and squealed, and I couldn't help but smile as I sat back, crossing my legs and closing my eyes.

"I have an idea, Master. Hold on." I said as I slowed my breathing, attempting to meditate. I barely heard Grimsley chuckle as I tried to quiet the panic in my head, cutting through it until I got what I wanted.

'_Vixen! Vixen where are you!? Who are these people that attack us with these shock sticks?! Vixen it hurts! _' I heard Lola cry in my mind. I frowned as I thought comforting things to my pokemon.

'_Easy Lola, easy. You guys got kidnapped by Team Plasma after we left the gym. Listen, calm down and keep them away, Grimsley and I are near and we are going to get you out._' I told her. I could hear her cries become less urgent in the sewers, but she was still very scared. I could feel it.

'_Please hurry! We don't like it here! They hurt us and laugh at us! _' Lola cried. I nodded as I opened my eyes, looking at Grimsley.

"Alright, so you said we have to work with what we've got to make the outcome favorable. I have a telepathic connection with my Deino. How do we use that to our advantage?" I asked. Grimsley grabbed his chin in his thumb and forefinger and thought it over while I did the same, and Lola's screeching gave me a clue.

"She knows Roar." I said. Grimsley looked up at me and smirked before looking out behind him. He nodded slowly as he turned back to me, and he grinned.

"Okay so here is what we can do. We'll go down there and confront Team Plasma. We'll let them back us up into the pokemon and the pokeballs, and when we are close enough, tell Lola to use Roar with your connection. Then we'll have to scoop up all the pokeballs and charge forward quickly. If we make it into the water, the current can carry us out and I can have Sharpedo swim us to safety." He told me. I liked it, but there was one drawback.

"What about the cattle prods? Water conducts electricity, they'll electrocute us." I told him. He grinned as he adjusted his scarf.

"Not if their buddies are in the water with us. Ever heard the term 'honor among thieves'?" He asked. I smiled as we stood up, bracing ourselves in the entrance of the pipe while Yapper climbed onto my back.

"On 3?" I asked, making Grimsley smirk. This was going to be fun.

"3!" We both cried, leaping out of the pipe. We landed on a small bridge connecting the pathways and ran to where our pokemon were, and Lola cried out joyously for me.

'_Lola stay there! We have a plan but you need to do exactly as I say when I say it.'_ I told her. Lola nodded and stayed where she was, though fighting the urge to tackle me into the water out of relief.

"You will regret stealing from US Team Plasma." I said with venom in my voice. Grimsley slinked up beside me as slowly, we backed up towards the pokemon. Yapper and Lola growled as Team Plasma walked to us with the crackling cattle-prods. When we got as close as we could to the pokeballs, Grimsley and I grinned as we quickly turned around.

'_Now Lola! Roar!_ ' I commanded in my head. Lola threw her head up and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"DEEEEIIIIIINNOOOOOOOOOOO!" She screamed, and all pokemon in the cavern retreated in a flash of red as they returned to their pokeballs. Grimsley and I snatched up our own pokeballs and the man handed me all but one of his. I quickly put them inside my bag while he rushed forward, ripping out a cattle-prod from one of the grunt's hands and tossing it away. I quickly joined him and together we charged towards the enemies, slamming our shoulders into the chests of two of them and throwing us all into the murky water. From under the water I heard Grimsley cry out in pain, and I quickly surfaced to see he had been struck with a cattle-prod before he got into the water. While the current carried me away from the angry Team Plasma, Grimsley still hadn't surfaced, and I knew something was wrong. I took a deep breath as I dove underwater, and I saw Grimsley's still form. I swam hard against the current to get to him, and quickly grabbed his hand. I felt his pulse under the water, and was relieved to find he was just unconscious. I pulled him free of the pipe that had caught his leg, and started to swim up, but the current picked up. I couldn't pull me AND Grimsley to safety through the current, and this time I had no ideas how to get us out.

I kept reaching up with one arm, holding my master tightly with the other. Though he probably would have wanted me to, I was not going to let my master go to save myself while he drowned. If I had a water pokemon, I would have gotten us both out, and it dawned on me. Grimsley kept one of his pokeballs when he handed me our pokemon. He must have had his Sharpedo! I started to feel around his jacket to see if I could find the pokeball in question when I felt something thick and slimy wrap around my wrist, pulling me up and forward. I yelped underwater as the mysterious creature pulled us and our heads broke the surface of the murky water. I tried to look in front of me as I swallowed the muddy water in between breaths, but the creature that saved me was still underwater. I looked behind us and saw Team Plasma running up to us, and I worried they would catch us before we could make our getaway.

They stopped as a bright light enveloped the pipe, and I looked to see we were coming to the end of the sewer line. The water was pouring out of the pipe into what I guessed was the ocean in a manmade waterfall, and I realized that if I didn't find Sharpedo or Grimsley didn't wake up to call him out, we would go right over the falls. I tried to free my hand from the creature, but it turned around and tried to pull us the other way. It must not have been a very big pokemon though, because the current was getting too strong. I didn't want the pokemon that had done everything it could to save us die from doing so, so I pulled my hand back and snarled as I bit into the pokemon. It let go and I felt me and Grimsley fall into the current even faster, and I clutched onto my master tightly as we went over the falls. But then I saw a shadow loom over us, and in the blink of an eye a white form dove underneath us, and we landed on soft, fluffy fur. I cracked my eye open and saw two green forms in front of us through blurry vision.

"Great catch, Ra ra. Let's get out of here." I heard Carina's voice say. Putting all my trust into the Hero of Truth to whisk us away to safety, I leaned against Grimsley and passed out as I felt a comforting warmth emanate from Reshiram.

'_Rest Vixen and Grimsley. You are safe, you have done well. Let us handle the rest._' I heard Ra ra say. With that, blackness clouded my mind.

When I woke up, it was dark except for a small lamp. I looked around and saw that I was back in the hotel room, dressed in my Deino pajamas, and I felt something shift beside me. Looking over I saw Grimsley snore quietly, though his breath hitched every so often as if he were hurting.

"Welcome back. How are you feeling?" I head Carina ask softly. Looking past Grimsley, I saw her laying on her Serperior, who lounged on the couch while the TV played quietly, and I carefully sat up, my head pounding,

"I feel like I just played catch with a Conkeldurr and missed my turn." I muttered. Carina chuckled as she got up, striding over to the bed. She carefully crawled onto the bed and made her way over to us, stretching a hand out and putting it against my head.

"That's normal. You and Grimsley swallowed a lot of sewage. I'm just glad you were in the refinery pipe and not the waste transport tube. Talk about vile." She said as she made a small gagging sound. Sneer chuckled from her place on the couch and I smiled, looking over at the serpent. She returned the smile and nodded at me before turning back to the TV.

"Sneer, thank you for helping me and Grimsley stay above the water. We would have drowned without you." I told her. Sneer's eyes widened as she looked back at me curiously, and Carina made a curious noise.

"Sweety, Sneer was with me the entire time. She never went near the pipe until Ra ra brought us close enough to catch you guys." She told me. I frowned as I reached for my lanyard, which was not on my neck. I must have looked horribly frightened, because Carina reached up and cupped my face while she shushed me.

"Easy, honey easy. Yours and Grimsley's pokemon are just fine. Shauntal and Burgh took them all to the pokemon center and they have their strongest pokemon with them." She told me. I sighed in relief and laid back in the bed, turning to Grimsley and noticing something strange. I could see his shoulders were bare. With a blush I started to lift the blanket, only to be stopped by Carina, and I looked at her in shock.

"Is he…!?" I asked, and Carina grinned stupidly at me as she covered her mouth, struggling not to laugh. She shook her head at me as she reached behind me, grabbing a pillow and pushing it against her face as she laughed uproariously in it. After a few minutes of laughing, she gave the pillow back to me and laid a hand on Grimsley's chest.

"No, he's not naked you perv. Burgh and I dressed the two of you into your night clothes while we got your traveling clothes cleaned. I assure you there is nothing sinister going on. I just don't want you to look because Grimsley got some very nasty wounds. You need to tell us what happened." She said, ending her sentence with a serious note. I nodded and yawned while I told her about everything, from Grimsley leaving me with Hilbert and Hilda to when her Reshiram caught us. During my story Carina had gotten off the bed and made hot chocolate, giving a mug to me. I sipped the soothing, sweet drink when I finished my story, and Carina smiled while she sat on the bed, cross-legged.

"That's quite a story. So you refined your Affinity to bespeak your Deino, huh? That's cool. I haven't met another person who could do that." She told me. I blinked curiously at her as she focused on that part of my story above all else.

"Uh, yes. So, you know what your Affinity is? Is it Fire or Dragon?" I asked, eager for her answer. She blinked at me as she sipped her cocoa and set the mug down.

"Neither. My Affinity is Grass. I refined it to talk to Sneer." She said, casting a loving glance at her pokemon. I smiled as I relaxed into the pillows behind me.

"So then refining only requires one Affinity? Do you have another one?" I asked her. She chuckled softly at me in response.

"It's not that Black and White. Affinities are tricky things, they are. I do not have another one but I think I know what you are getting at. I can't say for sure if you have a Dragon type Affinity, but you need to stop obsessing over it. Be happy about your Dark type and enjoy the relationship you have with your pokemon. Whether you HAVE a second one or not is irrelevant, it doesn't affect your relationship with Lola one way or the other." She told me. I sighed as I looked up at the ceiling. I was hoping that I DID have a Dragon affinity so that I could somehow better my communication with Lola, but if what Carina said was true, then I was at the best possible connection with Lola. I smiled at that though, because I was happy. I was as close to Lola as I could get, how many trainers could say that about their pokemon? The door opened and Burgh walked in, a sad smile on his face. I looked up at him while Carina made a curious sound as he released mine and Grimsley's pokemon, and looking at them all, I knew what was wrong. Lola looked up at me sadly as she sauntered over to me with a soft whine. She put her head on the bed and continued her saddened keen, and I rubbed her down. As I stroked the black fluff, I felt tears poke my eyes when she finally spoke.

'_They took Zachary._'

TBC

Together again, almost. Those meanies took Vixen's Shiny Zorua ;3; ZACHARY COME BACK! T^T

So if Sneer was with Carina the whole time, what pokemon grabbed Vixen's wrist and pulled her and her mentor up to the surface? I guess we'll have to see.

Finally. With this chapter, we have come to the end of the most difficult part of the plot so far. Now I can get back on track and carry on without strife. I hope I don't go through this crap again. Seriously, it's annoying having THAT many ideas for the same sideplot.


	21. Chapter 20: A Goal Renewed

Burgh and Carina stayed silent as I cried, cuddling Lola's head tightly while Sorrel and Sarah looked on from beside the bed. Sneer had slithered off of her couch and made her way to the bed, pushing my three pokemon up onto the bed. Lola hitched her head on my shoulder and hugged me while Sorrel and Sarah pressed themselves against my sides. I hugged my brood tightly and cried when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked beside me and saw Grimsley looking up at me rather sickly.

"What's wrong?" He croaked. I sniffled as I let Lola go, letting her lay down in front of me and rest her head in my lap.

"Master, Team Plasma still has Zachary." I told him. Grimsley frowned at me as he struggled to sit up, his breathing labored. As the blanket fell away from his torso, I could see why Carina didn't want me to look. He was covered in angry, crusted over welts. They must have zapped him when he tackled their comrades. And that water was very dirty. It wasn't toxic but it still was not ideal for open wounds, or unconscious breaths. Grimsley flinched as he looked over at me, his hand still clutching my shoulder.

"Vixen…" He said softly as I sniffed.

"What do I do now?" I asked, petting Lola. Grimsley was about to reply when his breath hitched, and Carina reached over, pushing him back down.

"Don't push yourself Grimsley, you're very hurt and very sick. You need to rest." She told him. Grimsley glared at her as though she had insulted his mother, and she glared right back. The air got thick as the two glared at each other, and I was about to call out when Burgh clapped his hands.

"Now now, no need to paint the scene with such violent colors. Carina is right Grimsley, you DO need your rest." He said as Shauntal sauntered into the room, her face looking empty while she smiled at everyone.

"This is turning into quite an exciting plot! The anguish, the fear, the looming sense of doom! Oh, this is every novelist's dream sequence for a hero story. I think this is the perfect opportunity for the next part in this epic story!" She exclaimed, and the room was silent as we tried to figure out what the hell she just said.

"Shauntal?" I asked. She abruptly turned her head to me and pointed at me with a pen.

"This is the part of the story where the Purrloin must leave her nest for bigger and better things! She must leave the safety and comforts of her Liepard guardian and find her way into the world. She has the knowledge she needs, and now she must prove she knows how to use it by her own paws." She told me. Everyone blinked at her and Carina stared at Shauntal with wide eyes.

"Are you high?" She asked.

"CARINA, NO!" Burgh, Grimsley and I all cried out simultaneously as Burgh jumped to cup a hand over Shauntal's mouth before she could respond. We all gave a sigh of relief as I glared at Carina, who smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry, heh heh." She said, scratching the back of her head. I rolled my eyes as I thought over what Shauntal said, and I furrowed my brow as I got up from the bed, coughing slightly. Grimsley turned his head and looked at me curiously.

"Vixen?" He asked in confusion as I left for the bathroom. I found my clothes, clean and dry on the counter. Changing out of my PJ's and slipping the outfit over my head, I walked back outside with a renewed determination, and everyone stared at me.

"Shauntal's right." I declared, and Burgh and Carina gave me confused looks while Grimsley looked like he wanted to die.

"Oh my god, Shauntal has ruined my apprentice." Grimsley said sadly. Burgh and Carina snickered while Shauntal smiled warmly, waiting for me to elaborate.

"No, she hasn't. I actually understood what she said, and she's right Master. I've been depending on you too much for the last few days, and not enough on myself or my pokemon. If I had I would have won my gym badge, and my pokemon would not have been taken by Team Plasma." I said as I strode over to the bed, picking up Sorrel and Sarah and looking at their eyes with a smile. Lola hopped off the bed and stood by my side as I set my pokemon down, and I smiled at my master.

"Shauntal basically just said that I need to show that I have learned from you, really learned, and I want to know if I have as well. I'm going to re-challenge the Castelia Gym, and then I'm going to leave Castelia City so I can start to find my own way. You should stay here and let Carina and Sneer nurse you back to health. You are free to rejoin me later but it is time we went our separate ways." I told him. Grimsley smiled warmly at me as he raised a hand, stretching it out to me. I clasped it in both of my own as he coughed for a moment before he started speaking.

"I think you already have, Vixen. Very well, continue your journey without me. Find your own way and get back your Zorua. I am proud of you, Vixen. You are very resourceful and very kind. And you are quite fierce and determined as well. Show me how far that will get you." He asked me. I smiled and squeezed his hand before letting it go, reaching over to pull the blanket back over him. I heard someone clear their throat and turned around to see Burgh smile at me.

"I am quite proud of you as well, and I would also like to see how far you can go, so I would like to give you something. Allow me to present you with the Insect Badge." He said, holding his hand out, a shining, green wing sitting in the palm. My eyes bulged as I looked it over, and I reached over to take it, but instead I curled his fingers over it, pushing his hand away.

"That's really nice of you, but I haven't earned it." I said with a sigh. Burgh smiled as he reached into his pocket, producing my lanyard and clipping his badge onto it above my others, holding the lanyard out to me.

"There is more to the badge than battling. As a gym leader, it is my job not to win or lose in gym battles, but to see how well my challengers have learned and how much. Win or lose, it is a matter of proving you have what it takes to move on, and as far as I am concerned you did. If you really want to argue, then we'll say that you would have won if Grimsley's well-being was not weighing so heavily on your mind. Is that fair enough?" He asked as he kept his hand outstretched. I looked around at the others, but no one spoke out against it. It was like everyone agreed with what he said. I swallowed as I looked at the badge again, and I nodded, taking the lanyard and slipping it back over my head. The three badges clacked together as they bounced on my neck, and I felt proud as I looked up at everyone.

"Thank you, all of you, for helping me. I should get going." I said, making my way to the door.

"Wait." I heard Grimsley say. I turned around and looked at him as he craned his neck, holding out a pokeball.

"Take Bisharp with you." He asked. I smirked as I walked back over, taking the pokeball. I expanded it and threw it, releasing Bisharp who looked at me sternly. We stared at each other for a long time, but after awhile Bisharp smiled at me, and I returned it. I walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her steel body, her sharp arms carefully encircling me as well, and we hugged each other tightly before letting go, and I turned to Grimsley, shaking my head.

"Thanks, but no. I will miss her, but she isn't my pokemon, she's yours. I need to do this on my own. I've been depending on you too much, and you have been worrying too much about me. My pokemon and I will be much stronger in the long run if we grow together, without a guiding hand constantly pushing us in the right direction." I told him. Grimsley smiled as he nodded at me, closing his eyes and laying his head back on the pillow. There was nothing more to say. I started for the door again when Carina put her hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't you at least stay for the night? You can leave tomorrow." She told me, sounding hopeful. I peeled her hand off my shoulder and shook my head at her.

"No, it's better if I leave now. I need to learn how to take care of myself again, but thanks." I told her. She smiled as she jabbed her thumb at the window.

"Then go that way. Castelia City is a dangerous place for a lone girl at night. Ra ra will take you out of Castelia and stay with you on Route 4 until morning. As the Hero of Truth, I humbly ask you to let me do this last thing for you." She told me. I blinked for a moment. She wanted me to take her Reshiram? She trusted me with it that much? Well, I wasn't going to turn down such a generous offer, especially when I got to ride one of the legendary pokemon that helped create Unova! I recalled Sorrel and Sarah and vigorously nodded at her, and Carina smiled as she removed her Master Ball, handing it over to me.

"Then I'll see you later. Take this as well, add us all to your contacts on your X-Transceiver. If you need something from us, just give us a call. And call even when you don't, cuz I'd love to hear from you." She said as she pushed a piece of paper in my hand, the numbers of Grimsley, Shauntal, Roxie, Cheren, Burgh, and Carina written on it. I smiled as I pocketed the paper, and Lola and I made our way to the window, opening it wide. I pushed the button on the Master Ball, opening it up and watching as Reshiram appeared in a flash of fire, roaring with it's bell-like call. As I put a foot on the windowsill, I looked back at everyone in the room who smiled warmly at me.

"Thank you, all of you. I won't let you down." I said as Ra ra pulled up beside the window. I stood up on the edge of the window and jumped towards the fluffy white dragon, landing on its back. I carefully crawled up until I was sitting on Reshiram's neck, and I unclipped Lola's pokeball from my neck, pointing to towards her and recalling her. With a final wave, I carefully dug my heels into the pokemon's neck, and with a final bell-like roar, Ra ra pulled away from the window and went up, soaring into the clouds. I gripped its fur beneath my fingers tightly as I gritted my teeth.

"I'm coming, Zachary. Hold on." I muttered as my fluffy white friend flapped its wings, rumbling in response to me.

TBC

Another filler, but this one was important. With all that happened, Vixen kinda lost sight on her goals. So she needs to spend some time on her own again for a little while. I hate that Grimsley had to get sick for her to realize it though. Poor guy.

Another chapter soon, I promise.


	22. Chapter 21: Seeking the Truth

As we flew through the night sky, I thought over what I had been through in the last few days. I felt kind of conflicted. I didn't know what the heck I was doing, or if it was right and why. Ra ra shifted under me and I leaned against its neck.

"Reshiram, can you hear me?" I yelled. Reshiram let out a roar as it flapped.

'_I can hear you even if you don't yell. By the way, you may call me by the name Carina gave to me if you wish. I told you to not be so formal._' It responded. I smiled and clutched its fur as I laid my head against it.

"Okay then, thank you Ra ra. By the way, are you male or female?" I asked. Ra ra chuckled as it flew.

'_I am both, but neither._' It replied.

"Huh?" I asked, throughly confused.

'_When one is immortal, reproduction is unnecessary. We deities have no need for gender, but we do contain the necessary parts in which to recreate the world in case of a grave catastrophe._' It explained. I blinked several times even though Ra ra couldn't see it.

"So you're a shemale?" I asked, and Ra ra cackled.

'_You and Carina would get along greatly, she asked me that very thing when I told this to her. Yes, I suppose I am a "shemale", but if it helps you and makes you feel any better, I will most likely choose to be female when global recreation is needed, though when I was whole we switched back and forth._' It said, and I blinked again.

"The world has ended that many times?" I asked.

'_Yes, but only because society continuously loses its way when it makes progress. It is actually incredibly annoying to help recreate civilizations. Our task was to re-instill values within people and pokemon, and so to have to do so over and over is tasking. Against the Original One's advice, we decided to get more involved with our world after the last Armageddon. The resulting feud amongst the humans caused the split that created me, Zekrom, and Kyurem._' She explained.

"Who is Kyurem?" I asked her. Ra ra rumbled as though considering her answer.

'_All in due time, little one. Now, I know you did not call to me just to ask my gender and learn the history of worlds past._' She said, and I sighed, sitting up.

"I seek your advice." I said. Ra ra stopped and hovered as she twisted her neck until she looked at me.

'_I'm all ears. What's the matter?_' She asked. Taking a deep breath, I organized my thoughts.

"What did I do? Did I cause Grimsley's illness? Is it my fault that Zachary was taken away? Am I doing the right thing by leaving them all even though Grimsley obviously wanted me to stay? Am I ready to be doing this?" I asked her. She looked at me carefully and blinked her sapphire eyes.

'_Why are you questioning yourself so much?_' She asked. I looked down at Lola's pokeball from my neck and wrapped my hand tightly around it.

"When I started my journey, I thought I was ready. I was ready to take on the entire region and felt unstoppable. But when I actually made it out there, I made some bad decisions that ended up getting Lola hurt. I thought I had learned from that, and everything was good. But then my boat got attacked, and then Grimsley got mugged, and my pokemon were stolen. And now Grimsley is sick and Zachary is missing, and I got this badge from Burgh out of pity." I said, grabbing my Insect Badge. I glared at it and threw it down, but Ra ra caught it in the tip of her tail and she looked at me.

'_Let me show you something._' She said, turning her head back and diving through the clouds. We quickly approached one of the many buildings in Castelia, but it was old and abandoned. Ra ra roared as her tail revved, and before I realized what was happening she spit out a massive fireball, destroying the decaying building,

"OH MY GOD WHATDIDYOUDO?!" I screamed. Ra ra chuckled as she turned to look at me.

'_What did __I__ do? You mean what did YOU do?_' She replied. I blinked several times at her.

"WHAT!? I didn't do that!" I cried. Ra ra chuckled again as she flew up to another building, and I panicked, kicking my heels into her neck as hard as I could.

"You crazy-ass dragon! Knock it off you're gonna hurt someone!" I yelled. Ra ra quickly flew up to the building, perching on it instead of destroying it. I panted as I calmed myself down.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I asked. Ra ra chuckled as she turned her head to look at me again with a smirk.

'_You don't see it?_' She asked.

"See what? A psychotic, white fluffball of a dragon throw a massive temper tantrum that cost the city one of its buildings? Who knows how many people you killed!?" I said panicking. Ra ra bucked her neck briefly and jumbled me.

'_First off, that building was condemned for destruction anyway, as is this one, but that's not the point. Was it your fault that the first building was destroyed?_' She asked.

"What? No of course not! Why would it?" I replied.

'_Well, you WERE sitting on my neck. Doesn't that mean you let it happen?_' She continued.

"No, I had no way of knowing you were going to do that!" I countered.

'_Then you knew Zachary was gone? You knew Grimsley was sick before you passed out?_' She said. I narrowed my eyes and tilted my head suspiciously at her.

"What are you getting at?" I asked.

'_There are some things we cannot predict, cannot control. When such occurrences happen, we survive and learn from it. Just as you reacted to me destroying the building by preventing me from destroying another, you reacted to Grimsley's disappearance by seeking him out, his illness by giving him room to recover. You are reacting to Zachary's capture by going out to find him, and you are doing it YOUR way. Not mine, not Carina's, not Grimsley's._' She explained, and I thought it over and smiled, but was still unsure and I looked her carefully in the eyes.

"But am I ready to do it on my own? Everyone was so reluctant to let me go." I asked. Reshiram smiled as she looked ahead, launching herself from the building and back into the sky.

'_It's only because they love you, Vixen. They know you are ready, but they still want to help you. If you weren't ready, they would have forced you to stay. Carina knows several Martial Arts moves that can make her adversary unconscious or paralyzed. Even I am at her mercy. She could be a really scary person if she wanted to._' Ra ra said with a slight shudder, and I laughed. I felt a whole lot better about it, having spoken to her, and I leaned down on Ra ra's neck again, encircling it as best as I could in a tight, grateful hug. I was incredibly relaxed until I heard a voice calling out for help.

"What was that?" I asked. Ra ra turned to the source and slowly descended, and I could see Cory running from a band of Team Plasma's goons through an old road. I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists, and Ra ra noticed.

'_Is that Cory?_' She asked me. I blinked and looked as she turned her head to stare at me with one eye.

"How did you know about him?" I asked her.

'_I poked into Grimsley's mind when he was unconscious to help Carina diagnose him for medical treatment. It is a name that enrages him and it has to do with you._' She told me. I smirked at that, he still hadn't let it go.

"Yes well, I don't like him that much either." I admitted. Ra ra snorted as she looked at Cory as he was cornered.

'_What do you want to do?_' She asked. I gritted my teeth as I thought it over.

"Let's go save his ass. He DID try to make up for his mistake." I said. Ra ra smiled as she turned down. She roared as she stuck out her legs, grabbing Cory in her talons. He screamed as she suddenly took off again, and I couldn't help but grin at an idea I had.

"Mind making him suffer a bit?" I asked.

'_No problem._' She replied. I hooked my legs into the bands around Ra ra's neck and held on tightly as she suddenly veered up, flipping and twisting in the air as Cory screamed.

"AHHHH HELP! SOMEBODY GET ME DOWN! PLEASE!" He cried. I couldn't help but snicker at his pleas as we came up to a small desert oasis, and Ra ra was quick to get rid of him as she dived, letting go and throwing him in a gushing fountain.

"We're even now, asshole!" I called as we continued flying, leaving the metropolis-in-progress and heading to a city of ruins. A sandstorm suddenly assaulted us and Ra ra was forced to land on the crumbling brick road, ducking into a decaying mud hut. She craned her neck carefully, sliding me off before leaning down, encircling me with her wings. She stuck her head through a small opening in her wings and looked at me.

'_The sandstorm should pass by morning, make yourself comfortable. I suggest you get yourself and your pokemon fed and then get some sleep._' She told me. I got out food and my sleeping bag as I released everyone into the cramped space one by one. I opened up the cans of pokemon food and set them in front of my team, holding up another for Ra ra.

"Want some? I have plenty, and I'm sure you're hungry right?" I asked. Ra ra smiled as she rolled out her tongue, flattening it out and then curling it to make a small dish. I dumped the entire can on her tongue, which she pulled into her mouth and ate quietly.

'_You are very kind, thank you. Do you have some food for yourself?_' She asked. I smiled and took out a small can of ready-to-eat soup.

"I hate to ask this, but do you mind?" I asked. She smiled and swallowed a few times, ensuring she had gotten everything, before opening her mouth and pushing it closer to me. I reached up and snagged the can on one of her fangs, twisting until the lid lifted. I then took the can back and petted her.

"Sorrel can handle this part, can't ya boy?" I asked the little Quilava. Sorrel looked up from his meal and grinned at me, sticking his tongue out as he padded over to me. Sticking his neck out, he made himself as flat as possible and I set my can on his head, which he promptly ignited. The flames were smothered, but functional as I took out a small spoon, stirring it slowly. Ra ra sniffed and made an impressed sound.

'_You objectify your pokemon more than Carina does._' She said, and I frowned as I looked up at her.

"I do?" I asked her. She snorted and made a sort of giggle.

'_Did I say that was a bad thing? Pokemon won't tolerate that kind of thing except when they really love their trainers. I can feel the love for you from your pokemon. You must be quite the trainer._' She said. I sighed as I slowed my stirring of my food.

"I can't even protect a shiny pokemon." I lamented. Ra ra snorted again, this time out of annoyance.

'_Do I need to blow up another building with Fusion Flare?_' She asked pointedly.

"No no! I'm good. Wasn't my fault, rescuing him now. All good." I sputtered, and she gave me a toothy grin.

'_Good. Enjoy your dinner._' She told me, and I couldn't help but sigh. Either Carina was insane and corrupted Ra ra, or Ra ra lost her marbles to begin with and drove Carina into her spazziness. Either way they were perfect for each other, and I dreaded the fact that Unova's future depended on them. I snorted and put it out of my mind as I pulled my dinner away from Sorrel, who went back to eating his own. As I spooned my soup into my mouth, I thought about everything Ra ra had told me tonight.

So I screwed up. Big deal. And even if I didn't, I'm going to do something about it. Hold on Zachary, Lola and I are coming!

TBC

Another filler, I mainly wanted some Reshiram crack. Destroying things is fun, don't you agree?

So while Vixen and her brood eat in their Reshiram-tent, lemme explain where they are. See, I couldn't decide which Route 4 to go with, so I decided to combine the two. That is how I'm going to deal with every game-specific location in this fanfic. They'll all be combined in some way both to make it easier on me and to put more emphasis on the balance of conflicting ideas. It'll be particularly fun with White Forest/Black City. In the meantime, Imma go sleep. Moar Lola tomorrow. Maybe we'll rescue Zachary too. We'll see. Nightnight.

EDIT: Dammit! I ALMOST didn't have to edit this chapter. And upon rereading it I saw a non-capital "i" and "lemma" instead of "lemme". God damn autocorrect. I hope you step on a lego! Ass. Yeah I'm going to bed, I'm getting random and pissy. Not a good combo.


	23. Chapter 22: Helping Your Friends

The next morning, I was woken by a giant, warm tongue.

'_Wake up Vixen, the sandstorm is gone and it is a perfect day to train and travel._' I heard Ra ra's voice say. With a big yawn I sat up from the bundle of fur and scales I was wrapped up in and stretched my arms while Ra ra lifted herself up from me. Standing up, I carefully walked outside of the mud hut and looked at the sprawling desert ahead. Lola padded up beside me with a yawn while Sorrel and Sarah struggled out of sleep.

'_Ick, a desert._' Lola told me with a disgusted snort. I smirked and reached my hand down, petting her horn.

"But you're a dragon, aren't you looking forward to the heat?" I asked her. She snorted again and raised her scales, pushing up her down.

'_Maybe if I wasn't covered in fluff. We Deino prefer damp caves._' She told me. I smiled and knelt down, resting my head on her back and encircling her neck.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you nice and safe in the pokeball. I need to train Sorrel and Sarah a bit anyway. You outclass them by far." I praised, earning a pleased warble from Lola. I smiled and stood up again, holding out her pokeball and recalling her. I saw a shadow loom over me and looked up to see Ra ra looking out over the desert. She turned her head slightly to look at me with one of her eyes, and she rumbled.

'_I must go back to Castelia and rejoin Carina. Will you be okay?_' She asked. I smiled at her as Sorrel and Sarah slowly sauntered over to me, yawning. I bent down and picked up Sarah, hugging her tightly before looking back at Ra ra with a smile.

"Yeah, we'll be fine. Thanks for getting me here, and tell Carina I said thanks for letting me borrow you." I said as I held out the Master Ball. Ra ra smiled as she carefully bent her neck, gently grabbing the ball in her mouth.

'_I will pass along the message. By the way, you dropped this._' She said as her tail curled, the tip looming in front of my head. I saw it curled around my Insect Badge, and I smirked as I plucked it free. Nodding approvingly at me, Ra ra carefully walked past me and my pokemon, opening her wings.

'_Until we meet again, Vixen._' She said as she jumped into the air, her tail revving. Clutching my Insect Badge in the hand I held Sarah with, I raised my other and waved at the retreating dragon. I was officially on my own now. Grimsley would not pop out randomly to surprise me. Carina would not suddenly show up and rescue me if I got in trouble. Shauntal would not sneak up behind me and go into a vague literary monologue that I would barely understand.

'_I think I like that part the best._' Said Lola from within her pokeball. I snickered as I shifted Sarah in my arms, reattaching my Insect Badge to my lanyard. I looked out at the desert again and took a deep breath, heading out of the mud hut and making my way to the next town.

As it turned out, the mud hut was in a set of ruins, the leftovers from an ancient city. It was quite pretty if I wanted to be honest, but I really needed to move on. I wandered the ancient streets, completely lost and ready to give up and call Carina for directions, when I heard the sounds of fighting. Clutching Sarah tightly in my arms, Sorrel and I ran to the direction of the sounds. Passing a mud hut, I came up to a chain link fence and saw two bird pokemon sparring with each other. One was covered in colorful plumage, while the other seemed to be dressed in bones. I whipped out my pokedex and scanned the two pokemon.

"_Mandibuzz, the Bone Vulture pokemon, and the evolved form of Vullaby. The eyesight of Mandibuzz is so keen, it can spot prey from great distances in the sky, allowing them to drop down and carry it to its nest of bones. No male Mandibuzz have ever been spotted in the wild._" The pokedex said about Mandibuzz. It squawked as the pokemon it faced rushed forward, and it pulled the bone from its head plumage, throwing it at the opponent and rushing forward. I scanned the second pokemon quickly before it dodged out of sight.

"_Braviary, the Valiant Pokemon and the evolved form of Rufflet. Braviary value their friends more than they value themselves, and will lay down their lives to protect comrades. All Braviary are male._" It said about the colorful pokemon. That sounded so awesome and sweet. It also gave me an idea. As Braviary dived down and thrust his talons forward, Mandibuzz rushed out of the way, and I figured that was the best time to interrupt.

"Excuse me! Can one of you help me, please?" I said, hoping they would be friendly. The two pokemon stopped their battle and looked at me sternly, fluttering over and perching on top of the chain-link fence. I swallowed as Mandibuzz stretched her neck towards me, and I took a step back. She and I locked eyes and stared at each other before she smirked, cooing softly at me. I guess she wasn't going to eat me.

"Mandibuzz?" She said, tilting her head. Taking a deep breath, I clutched my growling Bagon and smiled at the pokemon.

"I'm lost. See, I'm a pokemon trainer, and I want to get my next badge, but I don't know where to go. I was brought here from Castelia City but I forgot to ask where I should go next. Can you tell me where I am supposed to go?" I asked. Mandibuzz thought it over carefully as she turned to her partner, and they both nodded before unfolding their wings. With a soft flap, they reached out at us, Mandibuzz grabbing my shoulders while Braviary picked up Sorrel. We yelped as they raised us up and over the fence, setting us down on one side and then taking a spot on the opposite side of the field. I quickly grabbed Lola's pokeball and threw it, the little Deino appearing with a roar.

"Lola what's going on?!" I asked her.

"Deino die die!?" She yelled at the two pokemon. Braviary stepped forward and started chirping at her, and Lola nodded before turning to me.

'_They said that they are tired of constantly battling each other all the time. They don't get a chance to see a lot of trainers out here, so they will make us a deal. If you battle them two on two, they will take you to Nimbasa City._' Lola said. I blinked several times at the battle-ready birds, and I smiled, recalling Lola.

"Thanks Lola. You're on, Braviary and Mandibuzz! I actually need this too, we need some serious training, so don't hold back!" I called, and both pokemon smirked at me, nodding approvingly at my attitude. I set down Sarah and pushed her forward as Sorrel got into a fighting stance. Mandibuzz waved a wing forward, indicating I had the first move.

"Sorrel, Sarah, start off with Ember!" I commanded. Sorrel lit his head and tail flames as he spit out small flames along with Sarah. It didn't do very much as both pokemon were able to easily bat the flames away with their wings. They both squawked as they took flight, rushing forward. Mandibuzz veered away at the last second, appearing behind Sorrel and slamming the tip of her beak into his back while Braviary crashed into Sarah.

"Sarah! Don't let him get away! Use bite and hold onto him! Sorrel, counterattack with your new move!" I commanded. Sarah twisted her neck and latched onto Braviary's leg, making him carry her away while Sorrel turned to Mandibuzz, running at her. She fluttered away and Sorrel changed direction, falling over and curling into a ball. His head and tail flames burned fiercely as he became engulfed in flames, and he rolled towards Mandibuzz quickly, crashing into her. She cried out in pain when the attack connected, and as Sorrel bounced away she burst into flames, her body turning an angry red. She was burned.

"Way to go Sorrel!" I cried, turning my attention to Sarah, who was doing her best to hang on as Braviary twisted and turned in the air, trying to dislodge its passenger.

"Build up your Rage!" I yelled. I heard Sarah snarl as she scratched and kicked Braviary, her blows getting more vicious every time he bounced. I heard Sorrel scream and turned to see him running from Mandibuzz, who was chasing him and pecking him over and over in Fury Attack.

"Get her away! Use Ember and Flame Wheel!" I commanded. Sorrel covered himself in his flames, flinging some at Mandibuzz. It barely fazed her, but it would protect Sorrel for a little bit while I concentrated on Sarah's battle. She and Braviary were locked in a match of pecks and kicks, attacking each other over and over. I heard Sarah scream in rage as she constantly struck Braviary, which pissed him off and made him attack her more, which pissed her off. It was a never-ending cycle of anger as neither side let up, and I didn't know what I could do to stop it. Sorrel screamed again as Mandibuzz broke through his fire shield, and that got Sarah's attention. She suddenly let go of Braviary and fell towards Mandibuzz at an alarmingly fast pace as she suddenly glowed white. Her body grew bigger and less-defined while she fell. I took out my pokedex and quickly scanned her when the light faded and her new, huge body made contact with Mandibuzz, making her gag.

"_Shelgon, the Endurance Pokemon, and the evolved form of Bagon. While its cells undergo a drastic changing, it covers itself with an impenetrable shell._" It said. I smirked as I looked up, seeing Mandibuzz unconscious while Braviary looked on in shock. I smiled at an idea I got.

"Sorrel, use your Strength to throw Mandibuzz over here, she's had enough." I commanded. The Quilava shook himself off before darting over to Mandibuzz, grabbing her legs and flinging her over to me with all his might. Mandibuzz weakly flapped her wings to land softly next to me, collapsing when she could not take it anymore. She twisted her head and looked up at me questioningly, and I smiled at her when I turned back to the battle. Braviary dove down towards Sorrel, and I decided to go with part 2 of my plan.

"Now Sorrel, use Quick Attack to get back to Sarah! Sarah, get on top of him and use Protect!" I commanded. My two pokemon quickly made their way towards each other, Sarah waddling as fast as her legs could carry her while Sorrel ran. He quickly dived underneath as she stopped, her shell turning a pulsating green as Braviary made contact with her. He pecked and slammed his wings against her over and over, but Sarah didn't budge.

"Now both of you, use Ember!" I commanded. Sorrel popped out from underneath her, sticking his tongue out at Braviary as he and his partner sucked in their breaths. With a simultaneous howl, both pokemon spat out small flames at Braviary, knocking him back.

"Sorrel! Finish it with Flame Wheel!" I commanded. Sorrel crawled out from under Sarah completely, climbing on top and pushing off as he spun, covering himself in fire. He collided with Braviary with great force, knocking the bird down and out for the count. Putting out the fire, Sorrel ran back to Sarah, jumping excitedly around her and chattering. I smiled as I made my way over to them, petting Sarah's shell.

"You've gained a little weight, Sarah. That's so cool you evolved! I'm proud." I beamed at her. She turned slowly until the opening in her shell faced me, and sat down so she could look up at me. I couldn't see much more than her eyes, but somehow I knew she was a very happy pokemon. I heard a chirping behind me, and looked to find Mandibuzz standing, regarding me with respect. She walked over to me and smirked, leaning down and gesturing towards her back. I quickly recalled Sorrel and Sarah and hopped onto Mandibuzz, gripping her neck carefully but securely as she flapped her wings, carrying us into the air. We soared over the desert until we made it to a large, impressive building, and she landed at the top of the steps, letting me down. I smiled as I dug in my backpack, pulling out the oran berry Audino had given me early in my journey.

"Give this to Braviary. Thanks so much for the great battle, and for helping me cross the desert. You guys are cool. Good luck to you both on getting stronger." I told her. Mandibuzz smiled as she grabbed the berry out of my hand, clasping it carefully in her beak as she took off. I turned around and looked at the place she had taken me, and I proceeded. I didn't know where I was going to end up, but I knew it was going to be another leg to my long journey ahead. My journey to helping Lola reach her dreams, and to rescue my precious Zorua from the clutches of Team Plasma. My journey to determine my worth as a trainer.

TBC

In which I show off my new Shelgon. This was mainly to show how Vixen copes when her sense of direction fails, or lack thereof. Nice to see her use her Affinity on Mandibuzz though, right? Next chapter, fun stuffs.

In the meantime, I gotta get my badge from Elesa, and get some relaxing done. This chapter gave me a headache.

Also, I totally forgot that Vixen had thrown away her badge last chapter and had Reshiram catch it. Oopsies.


	24. Chapter 23: Knowing You're Loved

Upon entering the doors, I was suddenly assaulted by a lot of excited voices.

"Welcome to Join Avenue!"

"Can I show you where to get some food?"

"I know where you can train your pokemon!"

"I know where there are great items for cheap prices!"

They all shouted at me, and I didn't have a chance to answer any of them. I was actually quite frightened, and I must have been even more scared than I thought, because Lola popped out of her pokeball and snarled at the crowd, snapping at their legs. That gave me an idea and I grabbed her.

'_Keep fighting._' I commanded as I pulled her. She continued to snarl and thrash while I put on a terrified look.

"I was taking my pokemon to get their rabies shots! Run for your lives, it's too late for this one!" I screamed. The welcome wagon screamed in terror and scattered, and Lola immediately calmed down, relaxing as I set her on the tiles.

"Thanks Lola, I owe you one." I told her, patting her head. She gave me a big smile as she warbled.

'_Anytime._' She replied. With my terrifying experience over, I stood up and started walking along this place, Join Avenue, while Lola padded beside me. We looked around and saw a lot of shops, and although some of them were tempting, I wanted to get out of here quickly before the greeters realized I lied.

"Sarah evolved into Shelgon." I told Lola with a smile. I could feel her pride faintly in my mind, and she nudged my waist gently.

'_How big is she?_' Lola asked. I thought for a moment before humming.

"Almost as big as me. Why do you ask?" I asked. Lola stopped and sat down, smiling at me.

'_Who would bother a girl cuddling a dragon pokemon while riding another dragon pokemon?_' She asked. I blinked several times at her, my mouth opening and closing like a Magikarp.

"Ride on Sarah?! Lola, I couldn't ask her, or any pokemon for that matter, to let me do that!" I said. Lola snorted and stomped her foot.

'_Did you consider that maybe we LIKE helping our trainers get around? If nothing else, Sarah will let you do it to help keep the crowd from suffocating you._' She told me. I sighed as I took out Sarah's pokeball, opening it and letting her out in front of me. She stared at me curiously and I grinned sheepishly at her.

"Uh….Sarah? Do you mind…carrying me and Lola out of Join Avenue?" I asked. Sarah made a croaking noise as she waddled over to me, patting my knee while Lola jumped up.

'_Coming?_' She asked. I sighed and gave Sarah a warm smile, petting her shell as I gently put a foot on the bottom edge of the opening near her face, using it as a step while Lola gently grabbed my hand, pulling me up and on top of my pokemon. I sat awkwardly on top of Sarah as she turned around, walking towards the doors on the other side of the indoor street. By this time my tormentors had returned to see if they could convince me to go to one of the doors, but a growl from my two bodyguards made them stay back. Although they didn't speak pokemon, the message was clear even if Lola hadn't snorted.

'_Fuck off, assholes._' She muttered in my mind. I smiled and gently stroked Lola and Sarah as we moved, earning a pleased warble from both of them.

"My my, the control you have over your pokemon is impressive. They look very powerful as well." Said a masculine voice behind me. I turned my head and saw a tall man in a white lab coat behind us. He strode over and walked beside my waddling Shelgon and he took a close look at her. He had sort, blonde hair, and a weird blue feather curling around his head, reminding me vaguely of an Absol gone wrong. He adjusted his glasses with a white-gloved hand and wrote something down on a tablet he held, and Sarah growled.

'_Sarah is getting annoyed, you might want to warn him to back off before she rips his nose off._' Lola told me. I patted Sarah as I turned to relay the message.

"Um, sir? You are irritating my Shelgon, can you back up a little please?" I asked as nicely as I could. He looked up at me suddenly and smiled.

"My apologies, thank you for the warning." He said, standing up straighter. He said as he gave Sarah her space. I sighed in relief and continued petting Sarah while I looked at him curiously.

"Um, who are you? Do you work with Professor Juniper?" I asked. He waved his hand dismissively at me as he tapped on his tablet.

"Hm, no. I have no relations to her or her father. As for my name, you may call me Colress. And you, my dear?" He asked, looking up at me briefly. I hugged Lola tightly as I thought carefully.

'_What should I do Lola? He is kinda weird, and scares me a little. Like the way Grimsley or Shauntal scare me but…more._' I asked her through our connection. She tilted her head at Colress and turned her lips down in an unsure frown.

'_I can't say I trust him, but I don't distrust him. I think it's okay._' She replied.

'_Alright, but I think I'll leave out the parts about Grimsley, Shauntal and Carina._' I told her. Lola made a grunting sound as she nodded, as though agreeing with me, while I smiled at Colress.

"My name is Vixen, I'm on my way to my fourth badge." I said, showing him my 3 badges. He smiled at me as we made it to the door, and he hurried to get in front of Sarah to open the door, holding it while Sarah walked into a large, colorful city.

"I see, quite a strong trainer. Yes, this will do nicely. This is Nimbasa city, a place of amusement and lights. In the amusement park, you will find the gym, but I suggest resting at the pokemon center first. When you are done there, I would like you to meet me on Route 5, which is past the gate on the North-Western side of town. I wish to see how well you bring out the power of your pokemon. Until then." He said, walking away. I blinked several times at his retreating form while I dismounted Sarah, and I was confused.

'_Vixen?_' Lola asked. I shook my head as I recalled Sarah, and I started looking for the pokemon center.

"That was weird, I think I need to make some phone calls. Come on, Lola." I said. Lola nodded and followed me as I walked into the city.

Though not as big as Castelia, Nimbasa was still pretty big, and I almost got lost trying to find the pokemon center. Luckily a tall man in a black train-conductor uniform helped me find my way over, and he asked me to try the Battle Subway sometime in return. I told him I would think about it as I walked into the pokemon center, and while I waited for Nurse Joy to treat my Pokemon I found a quiet, solitary corner in the lobby and pulled out the list of numbers Carina had given me. I tapped the call app on my X-Transceiver and dialed her number, waiting a couple of minutes while the phone rang. After what seemed like forever, the phone was picked up and I was greeted by Sneer, her Serperior.

"Hi Sneer, is Carina around? I need to talk to her." I asked the serpent. Sneer nodded and turned away, and I could hear arguing in the background. I tilted my head as the camera was jumbled, and I saw Carina's annoyed face turned to the left.

"Yeah well, your mother dresses you funny! That yellow scarf is tacky and despite what you say, it makes you look like a bass-akwards Scraggy! Hello Vixen, it's nice to see you." She yelled, adding that last part in a sweetened tone. I smiled awkwardly at her.

"Hi, uh, is this a bad time? I can call back later?" I asked. Carina chuckled and shook her head.

"Naw it's fine. Your teacher is just being a butt right now. He's a guy, guys are proud even when they are hurt and/or sick. So what do you need? Should I send Ra ra back?" She asked. I shook my head and leaned back in the seat.

"No, I wanted to know if you knew anyone by the name of Colress?" I told her. She looked lost in thought for a minute as she searched her mind for the name, but shook her head after awhile.

"Can't say I do, why? Is something wrong?" She asked. I quickly explained everything that happened when I got to Join Avenue, and told her about his request to meet him at route 5. She stuck out her lips as though thinking it over, and her eyes flicked back up to look at me.

"So what do you think?" She asked me.

"Honestly, I don't know. I get the same weird vibe from him that I got from Grimsley when I first met him, and Lola says that she trusts him and she doesn't at the same time. I feel like I shouldn't go, but at the same time I want to know what he meant by 'bringing out the power of my pokemon'. What do you think?" I asked. She thought carefully as she bit her lip, and after awhile she nodded.

"If you do go, you should keep your team with you. After we get off the phone I'll call the gym leader and let her know about this. It's not that I think you're weak or anything like that, but I don't feel comfortable with you meeting this guy alone. The gym leader will stay out of sight but she'll look out for you in case you get into trouble. So how are your pokemon doing?" She said, adding the last part so that I couldn't argue. I smiled and talked to her for awhile, enjoying the conversation until Nurse Joy brought my pokeballs back out, asking for me. I then bade Carina goodbye, ending the call while I walked up to the counter, grabbing my pokeballs and making my way out.

TBC

Coming back to Black 2 a bit here. I decided to stop there because I'm kinda lost, so a new chapter with me on route 5 will be better.

Can you imagine walking into Join Avenue and suddenly getting assaulted by people to visit the kiosks? LoL I thought back to my White 2 *I actually own it* and remembered all the times I chased people down on my bike. I decided to incorporate all that and poof, instant funny. Don't read too much into that, keep chasing those suckers down! You need their love for your Avenue to grow!

And now I write.


	25. Chapter 24: Lola's New Toy

Standing just outside the gate, I took in the sight of Route 5. I took a deep breath and stretched, the smell of the sea and the forest mixing together in a way that made me relaxed. I smiled as I walked along the pavement, noting all of the people and pokemon darting around, until I came up to Colress, who sat on a folding chair typing on a laptop. Hearing a rustle in the trees, I looked to see a few pairs of eyes looking out at me, and I smiled and nodded at them. The gym leader was on standby, watching everything to make sure I stayed out of trouble. And so I took another deep breath and let it out slowly as I carefully walked over to Colress, walking behind him and peering over his shoulder.

"What are you working on?" I asked, seeing a few charts on the screen. He turned his head and smiled at me as he pointed to some of the charts.

"Just some statistics. I hope you don't mind, but I wish to record our battle for research purposes." He asked, reaching into his sleeve and pulling out an oddly-shaped object.

"What kind of research?" I asked him. He smiled as he pressed a button on the object, turning it on. It unfolded itself into a small, airborne camera and lifted itself into the air with a propeller mounted below it. Colress turned back to his computer and clicked an application, and suddenly I saw ourselves on the screen.

"I want to know how to bring out the true power of pokemon. It's a very fascinating pastime of mine to watch pokemon battle in different ways. I've seen pokemon battle each other in the wild, I've seen wild pokemon battle those with trainers, and I've seen young trainers battle each other. I want to see just how far we humans can push pokemon and if we can do so to their limits. I will look at this video later and make notes to see just how much you and I influence our pokemon. Of course, if you are opposed to this, then I don't mind turning off the camera and simply battling you." He said, twisting his neck until he could look me in the eye. I glanced at the images on the screen, and I smiled.

"After the battle, can I have a copy of the video? I wanna be able to look at it later so I can adjust my strategy." I asked. Colress smiled as he nodded at me.

"Of course. When we are done, I will stop the camera and save it on a file that we can transfer to your X-Transceiver. Shall we dance?" He asked. I smiled and started walking away, turning to see him standing as well and setting his laptop down on the chair, and I got concerned for a moment.

"Hey Colress, how many pokemon do you have right now?" I shouted.

"Just 2 right now, Vixen. Why do you ask?" He yelled back. I smiled as I grabbed Sarah's pokeball and tossed it. The Shelgon appeared in a flash of light and I rubbed her shell.

"Sarah, go over to that chair please. We're going to have a battle, and I don't want the laptop on it to get broken in the crossfire. Will you protect it?" I asked her. She nodded and waddled over to Colress, making him tilt his head.

"My Shelgon is going to shield your laptop just in case things get crazy. I tend to use the battlefield as a weapon, so I am worried it will get caught in the crossfire." I explained. Colress smiled as Sarah took her place, and Colress produced a pokeball from his belt.

"I appreciate the concern, thank you. You have the first move, Vixen." He said as he threw out his pokeball, a Magnemite appearing in front of him. I smirked as I went over the type chart in my head, grabbing Sorrel's pokeball and throwing it. He emerged with a howl as his flames ignited, and I smiled. He was ready to go.

"Sorrel, use Flame Wheel!" I commanded. Sorrel ran forward, engulfed in fire, and curled up into a ball, allowing the momentum from his running start to propel him forward. He leapt up at the last minute and slammed into Magnemite. Magnemite wavered in the air before it floated down to the ground, too tired to continue. I blinked stupidly as Sorrel returned to me while Colress smiled, recalling his pokemon.

"Be careful, your face my stick that way. Magnemite is a new pokemon, and is not used to battling yet. I thought this would be a good way to introduce it, but then you pulled out a fire type. Don't worry, I promise my next pokemon will be more of a challenge." He said, tossing a second pokeball. The pokemon that emerged looked like a pair of gears that twisted constantly, and I took out my pokedex to scan it.

"_Klink, the Gear Pokemon. Klink interlock their bodies and spin constantly to produce energy, which they need to survive._" It said, and I nodded at it, looking up and smirking. It looked like it was a Steel type, so against a Fire type like Sorrel, it hardly stood a chance.

"Sorrel, use Flame Wheel!" I called. Sorrel howled as he leapt up, curling into a ball and engulfing himself in flames. Colress smiled as he adjusted his glasses.

"Gear Grind." He said. Klink flew at Sorrel with lightning speed and separated for a brief moment, slamming back together with Sorrel in-between. They began to rotate quickly, crushing Sorrel in their grip.

"Quilava!" He cried as his flames died down. I quickly pulled out his pokeball and held it up, recalling the injured pokemon with a flash of red. Colress chuckled at me as his pokemon returned to his side.

"You cannot rely solely on your speed or power." He told me, and I rolled my eyes as I grabbed Lola's pokeball.

"I know that, I got creamed several times before I learned that lesson. I'm just getting started." I replied as I called out Lola. She snorted and dug her foot on the ground, revving herself, and Colress chuckled at me.

"Really? Very good. Charge Beam." He said. Klink spun around quickly, generating a lot of electricity which it fired in a small, concentrated beam.

"Counter with Dragonbreath!" I commanded. Lola smarted as she threw her pink fire at Klink, and the two attacks collided for a moment, but Dragonbreath slowly started to overtake it. Colress raised a brow as he took out his tablet and wrote something down, and I didn't pay a lot of attention once my attack reached Klink. The pokemon squealed in pain for a moment before it spun around, continuing to twist.

"Gear Grind." Colress commanded. Klink rushed towards Lola, but I was prepared this time.

"Dodge it!" I called. Lola backed up and began to run, but Klink was more maneuverable than she was, and it locked in on her, clasping her sides between its twin bodies.

"Oh no you don't! Crush them with Crunch!" I told her. Lola snarled as she latched onto one of the Klink bodies, crushing it in her teeth and throwing it away. The magnetism of the pokemon made the other half of Klink fly away with the one she threw. Colress smiled again as his pokemon recovered.

"Charge Beam." He said. Klink spun around and threw its attack at Lola, though it was slightly bigger.

"Dragonbreath!" I commanded. Lola roared and launched her attack at the Chargebeam, and it took a bit longer for the attack to get overtaken again. Colress made a weird sound as he nodded and wrote in his tablet.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, somewhat annoyed. He looked up at me with a dazed look before he smiled and raised his arms in a 'T', declaring a time out. I blinked several times at him as he strode over to me, raising his tablet for me to see before he handed it to me.

"Tap 'Play'." He commanded. I looked down to see a 3-dimensional Deino in a battle simulation, and I tapped the 'Play' command as Colress requested. I saw the Deino model move through the motions of roaring and launching a pink line from its mouth, which grew bigger and turned purple. After the line finished turning purple, it became misty and broken up, surrounded by blue rings. When the animation ended, I handed Colress his tablet back and gave him a curious look.

"What was that?" I asked him. He smiled as he turned to Lola, looking her over closely.

"I think your Deino is ready to learn Dragon Pulse. It's like a more powerful and versatile version of Dragonbreath, but without the added effect of paralyzing your opponents. If you wish, I can help you teach it to her." He told me. I blinked and looked at Lola, considering the options before I smiled, turning back to Colress and nodding.

"Alright, let's do it. What do you have in mind?" I asked. He smiled at me as he turned to Lola, walking over to her. He took out a small collar from his pocket, and I gave him a suspicious look as he snapped it around Lola's neck.

"Don't worry, it will just help her concentrate her power until she can do it herself." He explained, standing up and moving back to my side. He turned back to his tablet, gesturing me to go ahead. I blinked several times and shrugged, looking around.

"Okay Lola, try using Dragon Pulse on that tree." I commanded.

"Klink." He said. I blinked as Lola prepared her attack.

"Uh, okay. Use it on Klink." I told her. The collar on her neck began flashing and beeping as she growled, throwing her head back and spitting out. A little bit of a purple mist emerged from her, but that was about it, and Colress tutted.

"Klink will use Charge Beam. It gets stronger almost every time it is used. Dragonbreath can only counter it for so long, if you want to overcome it you will need to turn it into Dragon Pulse." He told me as Klink prepped the attack. I nodded as Lola took a deep breath, launching Dragonbreath at Klink's Charge Beam. This time the two attacks were even, and an explosion occurred. I was running out of time, Charge Beam was going to keep getting stronger.

"Come on Lola! Put more into it! Turn Dragonbreath into Dragon Pulse!" I called. Lola snorted as she shook her head violently, spewing out another Dragonbreath that turned wispy. Kilink launched another Charge Beam at Lola, which pulverized her wispy Dragonbreath and slammed into her.

I spent the next hour or two coaching Lola on Dragon Pulse with Colress' guidance. I was mainly on my own with her training, but he did intervene every now and again with some input and suggestions, and by the time noon came around, we were able to take off the collar that gathered energy for Lola to use so that she could do it on her own. She hadn't totally mastered it, but we could rely on Dragon Pulse in a battle.

"Keep working on it, eventually you will be able to manipulate it to a point where you can use two forms of Dragon Pulse. The wispy breath weapon is the standard and most efficient form of Dragon Pulse, but with the right training, your Deino will be able to concentrate it into a ball of intense energy that she can throw, like Aura Sphere but deadly to Dragon Types." Colress told me after he recalled his exhausted Klink. He walked to his laptop and lightly patted Sarah before he picked it up. He sat down in the chair and started typing on it, and I smiled as I made my way over, recalling Sarah and looking over his shoulder.

"Need my X-Transceiver number?" I asked. He shook his head as he compressed the video file, clicking a drop-down menu.

"My computer can detect wireless devices. The video should be arriving on your X-Transceiver right now." He told me as the mentioned device beeped, confirming his estimation. I smiled and stood up, stretching my arms over my head while Lola walked over to us, panting from exhaustion.

'_Okay, so he's not ALL bad. You should still be careful._' Lola told me, warbling. I smiled and reached down to pet her while Colress stared at some bushes. I looked in the direction he stared, trying to find whatever he was he was looking at, but my search failed as he turned to me with a smile.

"What were you looking at?" I asked him as he packed up his laptop and stood.

"Not sure. You should head back into Nimbasa, you never know what could be lurking in the brush. Your pokemon are strong, but you are still at risk. Until we meet again." He said as he walked along the road towards the massive Driftveil Drawbridge. I looked down at Lola and shrugged, recalling her into her pokeball and heading towards the gate as he had suggested.

And I promptly received a blow to the back of my head, my world turning black.

TBC

And down for the count. Next chapter is going to be extra special. Why? You'll have to wait and see. Won't be too long, I promise.

This chapter was hard to write for some reason. I can't put my finger on it, but that battle was just so odd in so many ways.


	26. Chapter 25: Homecoming

Something was wrong. I could smell it even in my sleep. I cracked open an eye and stood up with a big stretch, smacking my lips to try and get my saliva glands going. I'd have to get some water to slack my thirst, but this would do for now. I walked to the opening of my hideout and looked out at the people and pokemon before me. All seemed well on Route 5, but then I saw them. Team Plasma. They slunk through the grass like treacherous Seviper. They were looking for me, but they would never find me, never. With a lack of anything else to do, I donned a disguise and went out. My supplies were getting low anyway.

Upon my return, I was disgusted to see Team Plasma was still hanging around, though they seemed preoccupied with something. It was enough to make me want to hurt them, but I knew better. I know I could never intentionally hurt anyone unless they tried to hurt my friends, but that doesn't mean I didn't want to sometimes. I snorted and went back into my hideout to put away the food and comforts I had managed to get ahold of, and I heard something weird outside. With a sigh, I turned around to watch Team Plasma drag a gagged woman to their little campsite. She struggled in their grip, trying to remove her bonds, and I couldn't help but bare my teeth. This was NOT okay. Before I could move though, I heard a familiar voice.

"What were you looking at?" That voice…I knew that voice, I knew it very well. It brought a smile to my face that overwhelmed my emotions, even as a second voice whom I did not recognize spoke.

"Not sure. You should head back into Nimbasa, you never know what could be lurking in the brush. Your pokemon are strong, but you are still at risk. Until we meet again." It said. Who was this person? I disguised myself once more and snuck out of my hiding spot, walking past Team Plasma to see what was going on. I'd rescue the woman in a moment but I needed to see the owners of those voices.

Vixen, oh my Vixen. It was great to see her again. I wanted to go out there and hug her, cuddle her, curl in her arms and cry, but there was the person she was with. The blue feather he wore bounced slightly over his blonde hair as he walked away from her, and I almost had the perfect opportunity to join Vixen, but then I heard it.

"When she recalls her Deino, we'll grab her." I heard one of the grunts say. They were going to grab her? What would they do? I looked back to see Vixen look down at Lola and grab her pokeball. No Vixen! That's what they want! Don't go in there Lola, you need to protect her!

"Go!" One of the grunts whispered. No! No no no! They rushed out before I could move and struck Vixen on the back of her head with a long pipe. She went down without a fight and they quickly picked her up. I snarled and prepared to rush out to meet them, but I felt something curl around my foot and keep me in place.

"Rush in now, you save the girl. Wait until later, you can save them both. What do you choose?" A feminine voice asked. I looked down and saw my captor, and I gritted my teeth, but nodded at her while I watched Team Plasma carry the unconscious Vixen back to their group. They all nodded to each other and raided the pokeballs of both girls as a truck pulled up, and they loaded them both onto the bed of the truck. As it pulled away, I snorted, pulling my foot free.

"I can at least get their pokemon back." I said, sneaking up to the woman who held the pokeballs. With a quick jab at her neck, she went down easily, fast asleep, while I picked up her stolen goods. I heard other Team Plasma grunts shout for their comrade, and I fled the scene, making my way back to my hideout. I set all of the pokeballs down as the girl who held me back entered my den, slinking up beside me.

"Now what?" She asked. I snorted as I sorted the pokeballs, making sure Vixen and the other woman would be able to get the right ones when I brought them back.

"I'll track them down, and bring them back to safety." I said, turning to the entrance of my lair to wait out Team Plasma's search.

"You care for Vixen that much?" The stranger asked as she joined me. I nodded slowly as I closed my eyes.

"I love her. She's kind and sweet, and she doesn't judge others based on appearances. She always works hard and makes time for everyone. And then there are the cuddles. She's so great at cuddling, and she's mastered it so that she can cuddle everyone at once. I want her cuddles again, and I am sick of Team Plasma telling me I can't have them!" I said, stomping my foot. The stranger chuckled at me as Team Plasma left the area, still searching for the pokeballs I stole.

"Quite a convincing argument. Very well, go find her. Bring her and their other prisoner back here, I will guard your lair." She told me. I turned to look at her and we locked eyes. She never once turned away, so I took that as a sign of truth.

"If even one pokeball is out of place, there will be trouble." I said darkly. She nodded at me in understanding, making her way over to Vixen's pokeballs and curling around them, opting to nap. Rolling my eyes, I made my way out of my hideout, heading into the brush to find the trail of the truck that took the girls.

It wasn't really that hard to find the trail. The tires on their truck must have been very old, because they left perfect treads on the pavement. All I had to do was follow them without attracting attention. Simple enough. I followed the treads on the road, ignoring the stares as I passed by, across Route 5, until I got to the center of the bridge. I saw the pickup truck that had taken Vixen and the other woman, and I saw them being loaded onto this strange ship that seemed to float in the air. I tilted my head and watched, deciding that the best way to pull this off was to do so incognito. I disguised myself as a grunt and strode over, saluting the other members and walking onto the ship.

It was huge inside the ship, and I had absolutely no idea where I was going. With a sigh I resigned myself to a long, annoying search. I wandered hallways and peeked into rooms, trying to find where they had taken their prisoners. As I made my way to the belly of the ship, I was all but completely frustrated by my failing search.

"Oh come on! There is no way they could have hidden them so quickly!" I yelled. Suddenly I felt cold, and grabbed my shoulders tightly to retain warmth.

"Lost something, little one?" A raspy voice asked. I looked up and saw a big-ass dragon standing inside an even bigger glass tube. It stared at me intently, and I wanted to be afraid, but I was on a mission.

"They took something that belongs to me. A young trainer and a slightly older woman." I explained. The dragon continued to stare as it breathed deeply, and I rolled my eyes and turned to leave when it spoke again.

"They keep human prisoners inside the pipe room. The pipes are so large that they can contain humans who are unarmed. If I were you, that is where I would look." It said after awhile. I looked over my shoulder as the dragon closed its eyes, sitting down.

"Thank you. When we are stronger, we will rescue you. I promise." I told it. The dragon rumbled as it opened one eye.

"Don't worry about me. The girl is who I am worried about. There are very few who can survive the cold I bring, and none are human. If you really want to help me, then do so by helping Team Plasma's prisoners." It told me. I closed my eyes as I turned to face the dragon, opening them and seeing the worry make its way into the dragon's yellow eyes.

"I will do my best, Kyurem." I said, turning back to the task at hand. I made my way into the pipe room as Kyurem described, and walked along the huge pipes, looking in the gaps for the ones I sought. Upon reaching the farthest corner in the room, I found them. Vixen was still fast asleep, and the black-haired woman they took with her had fallen asleep as well, clutching Vixen tightly to retain warmth. I frowned as I jumped down, carefully picking up both girls and slinging them over my shoulders and jumping back up. I started to leave when Team Plasma crowded around me, and I growled. I was cornered.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped and a line of ice formed beneath me, running across the pipes and rounding a corner. Kyurem must have been trying to help me find a way out. I leapt over the grunts that had tried to trap me and ran, following the trail of ice and dodging every attempt to catch me while I clutched the girls tightly. Soon the ice faded, but that was okay because I could see the exit. I ran as hard as I could and leapt off the ship as it tried to flee, landing on the bridge with great force. My legs shook for a moment, but I kept pushing myself. I had to keep going. The black-haired girl woke up in alarm, and I tossed her and Vixen onto my back. She held Vixen tightly with one arm while she clutched my hair with the other as I dropped to all fours, running at top speed back to Route 5. I didn't stop even as I made it back to the brush, and as I came upon my lair I saw the stranger who had stopped me before leave it.

"Everyone is there, I must go. I have something to do." She yelled as she fled.

"Thank you!" I yelled after her as I made it back to my lair, diving inside and setting the girls down. The black haired girl quickly retreated, grabbing one of her pokeballs while Vixen stirred.

"Get back! Stay away from us, get back!" She yelled at me, but I simply growled at her while I tended to Vixen. I picked her up carefully and moved her hair out of her face, whining when she looked distressed.

"Vixen, come on, wake up. It's me…" I said quietly, though I knew she wouldn't hear me. She opened her eyes and looked up, pulling out of my arms in alarm as she studied me. I gave her a sad look as I whined, reaching out to her.

"It's really me, Vixen. I know I look different, but please remember." I begged quietly, though she wouldn't hear that either. She looked at me carefully as the black-haired girl called out her Zebstrika, but Vixen held up a hand.

"Wait, I-I recognize him." She said, and I smiled. We stepped into the light, and Vixen gasped as her eyes filled with tears. She remembered. I felt like crying myself as I kneeled so that I wouldn't tower over her. She fell into me and encircled me with her arms, hugging me tightly just as she used to before Team Plasma got in the way. She clutched my purple mane in her hands and rubbed her face in my dark fur, and all of my control over myself broke, allowing tears to fall, when she spoke just three words, her voice thick with tears.

"Welcome back, Zachary."

TBC

And Zachary is home! And he evolved!

I wanted to try something new with this chapter. Initially, I planned to do this with Lola way back when we were in the sewers, but it wouldn't have worked out well since they were in only one place. Zachary's capture set it up better. I'll cover what happened with Zachary since he last saw Vixen in the next chapter. In the meantime, enjoy having Zachary back.


	27. Chapter 26: The Bolt Badge

DISCLAIMER:

THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS PEOPLE PRACTICING MEDICINE AND CONDUCTING MINOR SURGERY WITHOUT A LICENSED DOCTOR PRESENT. WITHIN THE WORLD OF POKEMON 99% OF WOUNDS ARE NONFATAL AND ARE INCONVENIENT AT THE WORST. IF YOU SUFFER A SERIOUS INJURY SUCH AS THE ONE DESCRIBED IN THIS CHAPTER, PLEASE GET YOURSELF TO A HOSPITAL AND DO NOT TRY TO TREAT IT ON YOUR OWN.

**Story Start**

'_And that's all of it._' Lola said as she finished translating. I sniffled as I petted the soft purple fur of my Zoroark, who draped himself over my lap, while I went over his story in my head that Lola had gotten from him.

As it turned out, when Team Plasma stole my pokeballs they scanned them and were interested in Zachary's shiny status. They separated his pokeball from the others and loaded him onto one of the carts they were pushing through the sewers. When they finally let him out, Team Plasma tortured and pushed him until he evolved, and with his new power he destroyed his pokeball and fled to Route 5, where he stayed and recovered until I finally came by and got captured by Team Plasma. He had help from a big worm-like pokemon in my rescue, as well as aid from that mysterious Kyurem Ra ra had told me about.

I was relieved to have Zachary back, and he let me re-catch him without a fuss, but he popped out of the pokeball again and grabbed me, running into Nimbasa city with the Gym Leader, Elesa close behind on her Zebstrika. Team Plasma had hit me pretty hard in the head with a pipe, so here I was, sitting in Elesa's dressing room while she treated the nasty wound on the back of my skull.

"Geez, if I didn't know any better I would have thought you said something about the guy's mother." She said as she dabbed a cotton ball saturated with Hydrogen Peroxide on it. I hissed in pain and tried to squirm, but Zachary was having none of that and held me still with a growl.

"How bad is it?" I asked. I saw Elesa frown in the mirror as she set the bloody cotton ball down, taking out another.

"Bad enough that you should be grateful I took an online medical course. Technically you should be hospitalized right now, but I was told to monitor you before taking such a step." She replied. My eye twitched as my head throbbed, and I glared at the mirror.

"What does it look like?" I asked, somewhat annoyed.

"Nasty. They hit you hard enough that it shredded the skin and exposed your skull. It's ALMOST like your skull got pushed in but it isn't." She told me. I paled slightly at that and shifted.

"So…what does that mean?" I asked her.

"It means I need to call Carina." She replied. I frowned and took a deep breath.

"She's not going to be happy, and neither is Grimsley." I said, tilting my head forward. Elesa gave me an apologetic smile while she sprayed an anti-septic/anesthetic in the wound, making it so that I wasn't in quite so much pain.

"No they will not. I'll be right back sweetie." She said as she left the room. I sighed and leaned my head further forward, burying my face in Zachary while Lola, Sarah and Sorrel looked on sadly.

'_You realize, we will never leave you alone again, right?_' Lola said in a matter-of-fact tone. I chuckled and reached out my hand, curling my fingers in Lola's soft down when she headbutted it.

"I don't really want you to either. Colress tried to warn me and I was stupid to recall you." I told her. Sorrel whined as he climbed onto Sarah, who waddled over until she was right next to me. Sorrel pressed his body against my side and hugged me as tightly as his little paws would allow, and I shifted my hand from Lola to him instead, rubbing his head and neck just below his fire spot.

'_I'm still not sure we can trust him. If he was really that concerned he wouldn't have just warned you, he would have made sure you got to the gate. But that doesn't matter. What matters now is that you are safe, Zachary is safe, and we are together. All is well._' Lola said, rubbing her head on my knee. I smiled and continued to stroke Sorrel while Zachary purred, the sound soothing though painful.

"Zachary, I love it when you make that purring sound, but can you not right now? It's just enough vibration to make my head throb more." I asked sweetly. Zachary stopped and raised one of his arms, grabbing my shin carefully in his purple claws and squeezing softly with an apologetic sound escaping his mouth. I pressed my face further into his fur and lifted my head slowly.

"I'm not going to die, am I?" I asked, half-serious. Lola snorted and stomped her foot.

'_No, but you were close when Zachary found you. If he hadn't woken you up you very well could have slipped into a coma. There's still a risk of that, but only if you fall asleep._' Lola said with a slight tinge of worry.

"Well, I don't feel tired. Just sore, scared and confused." I told her. Lola whined as she rubbed her head on my knee again, filling my head with gentle reassurances while the rest of my pokemon tried to comfort me in their own way. I smiled and hugged my brood tightly, but I hissed in pain when I heard a door slam not too far away. I was still very sensitive to sound, and the shouting in the next room didn't help me.

"Where is she!? Is she okay!? What happened!?" Was all I was able to make out, as the ensuing shouting became jumbled and painful, and I clutched my ears to take down the resulting headache. My pokemon growled and seemed to be plotting how to stop the shouting, but a bell-like roar beat them to it.

'_I am very sorry Vixen, we are all scared and angry, and Carina and Grimsley are out of their minds trying to get to you. Are you okay enough to see them?_' Ra ra said gently in my head. I didn't know how to talk back to her, since I didn't have the same connection with her that I had with Lola, but I just thought about how much pain I was in and how scared I was about whether or not I was going to die. That seemed to be enough for Ra ra, and I heard soft footsteps approach. The door opened, and Carina ran into the dressing room, followed by a sickly-looking Grimsley, who both rushed over to me. Grimsley enveloped me in his arms and held me tightly while another pair of hands grabbed my head gently and turned it, and I felt myself growing annoyed.

"Carina, please stop that, it hurts." I snapped, turning my head away from Grimsley. The hands left as my master held me away from him, looking at me with sick, yet concerned eyes.

"What happened? Are you alright?" He croaked. I smiled at him and leaned in to hug him again, putting a hand on Zachary.

"I got captured, but Zachary saved me." I told him. Grimsley and Carina looked down at the resting purple Zoroark in my lap. Their eyes widened and they looked at each other in astonishment before they turned back, reaching out to pet Zachary. He grinned and relaxed into their touches, and they looked at me warmly.

"I'm glad that you got him back, Vixen. And it's good that he evolved. He can protect himself and you better." Carina said while Grimsley nodded, grabbing my chin and gently turning my head to look at the mark on my head. I heard him and Carina growl quietly, and I sighed.

"It's the end of the road for me for right now, isn't it?" I asked. Grimsley and Carina looked at me with unreadable expressions, and I was sure that they were going to confirm my worst fears. They were going to tell me it was too dangerous to continue my journey and I should wait it out at home.

"You kidding? For a little scrape like that? Please, a few stitches and some pain medication and you'll be right as rain." Carina said, making me and Grimsley blink at her.

"You can't be serious." Grimsley told her. She grinned as she pulled out her bag, taking out an expensive-looking first aid kit and gesturing Elesa over to us.

"I got a lot worse when I was on MY journey. I had to go through Twist Mountain mounted on Pendra the entire time because I snapped my leg in half. Do you know how nasty Twist Mountain is in Winter?" She said as she started pulling out bottles and boxes, some of which made me pale. Grimsley rolled his eyes at Carina as he turned to me, his eyes softening. He reached out and put his hand on my head, gently turning it down until I was pressed against Zachary's fur.

"You don't want to watch this, it's alright Carina and Elesa know what they're doing." He said softly as I felt something dabbing my head. I whimpered when I felt something prod my skin and pull. Grimsley rubbed my back softly and spoke quietly to me, assuring me everything was okay while Lola, Sorrel and Sarah growled.

'_What are they doing to you?_' Lola asked uneasily.

'_They're stitching my head back together, it's alright, tell everyone to back off._' I told her. Lola whimpered as she relayed my message, and we stayed silent as Carina and Elesa did their thing. I took deep, calming breaths while Lola continued to talk to me about Zachary's moment of freedom, trying to distract me from the pain just like before, and after about an hour I felt someone grip my shoulders and gently pull me up.

"All done. We had to shave your head a bit around the wound, but it's hardly noticeable as long as you keep your hair down. You'll need to be gentle when you lay down, I suggest only the softest pillows, or your Zoroark's mane." Carina said as she turned the chair around, thrusting something into my hands.

"Take one of these every 6 hours. When you run out you'll be good to go." Elesa added. I smiled and took the bottle of medication, putting it into my bag and stretching. I looked at everyone, all of whom returned the look with relief, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"So, I can keep going on my journey?" I asked. Carina nodded while Grimsley reached out to grab my shoulder, clutching it tightly.

"Only if you promise you will ALWAYS keep at least 1 pokemon out at all times." He said with a hint of pleading. I smiled and grabbed his wrist, squeezing lightly as I looked at Elesa.

"So, can I have my Gym Battle?" I asked. Carina giggled while Elesa smirked at me and crossed her arms.

"Are you sure? As far as I am concerned, you earned my badge by training such a loyal pokemon that saved not only you, his trainer, but me as well. He didn't even KNOW who I was and he still rescued me. I'd be happy to reward you right here, right now." She said warmly. Grimsley and Carina watched in silence as I considered her offer, but shook my head.

"It was bad enough when Burgh pulled that crap on me, but I'd really rather earn my badges, really EARN them. Zachary has always been a sweetheart, and so are my other pokemon, but we want to know if we are really strong, or if we are just too cute to say 'No' to. So, can I have a battle with you instead?" I said. Grimsley looked absolutely proud, despite the dark circles under his eyes, at my declaration and Carina gave me an approving smile. Elesa seemed to share her sentiment as she patted my shoulder, making her way to the door.

"Sure. Give me a moment to get ready. Come on out to the catwalk when you are all set. The battle is 3 on 3, so be prepared." She told me as she strode out of the room. I turned to Carina and Grimsley and smiled, standing up and stretching and shaking my head.

"How are you feeling Master?" I asked, turning the focus away from my request. Grimsley smiled as he closed his eyes, leaning against Elesa's dresser. He still looked really sick, but he was doing better than he was the last time I saw him.

"I'm well enough to travel. After your Gym Battle, Carina is going to take me back to the pokemon league so I can rest in my chamber. Caitlin knows a bit about medicine and she will help me on the road to recovery." He told me. I smiled as I stood up, pulling Sorrel into my arms as I looked at my team, and I felt a wave of determination wash over me. With the okay to continue my journey, there was nothing standing between me and that badge. Nothing but Elesa.

I hate Emolga. I really do. They fly around every attack I make. They hit me with their own attacks and then go back into their pokeballs like cowards. The only way to hit them is to physically attack them, and they paralyze my pokemon when they do.

"Come on Zachary! Night Slash!" I commanded. My Zoroark fought against the yellow sparks crackling on his body as his purple claws glowed black. Shaking the paralysis, he leapt up and raked Emolga with them. The electric flying squirrel batted Zachary away while Elesa smirked.

"Volt Switch!" God dammit. Sometimes I wonder, just what the hell is wrong with me? She OFFERED to give me her badge after Zachary rescued us, and I just HAD to get all noble and insist I battle her for it. My eye twitched as Emolga threw a ball of electricity at Zachary, returning into its pokeball while Zebstrika burst onto the field AGAIN.

"Zachary return! Let's go Sarah!" I said, recalling Zachary into his pokeball before I sent out Sarah. The poor Shelgon was also paralyzed, but she still had a great defense. Zebstrika covered itself in fire and rushed towards Sarah, but her newly-learned Dragonbreath quickly dispatched it. Zebstrika stopped and shuddered as yellow sparks crackled along its body, and I smirked. What comes around goes around. Just like that it became an endurance battle, which was something Sarah happened to specialize in.

"Sarah, Headbutt!" I commanded. Sarah snarled as she fought the yellow sparks, charging towards Zebstrika. She slammed into it with full force, knocking it back several feet, and Elesa gritted her teeth.

"Volt Switch!" She commanded. I had a feeling that by the time I was done with this gym battle, I'd have a vendetta against ALL electric type pokemon. I glared at Emolga as it came flying out, and I had just about enough of this.

"Shelgon is unable to battle, Zebstrika wins!"

I recalled Sarah and sent out Lola in her place, and the little Deino was only slightly better off. The sparks of paralysis crackled along her body as she groaned, and I felt horrible about putting her through this, but it wouldn't last long.

"Use Dragon Pulse!" I commanded. Shaking off the paralysis, Lola roared as she spit out her wispy attack. It was weak though, and easy for Emolga to dodge. It flew towards Lola at top speed, and I took this opportunity to end it once and for all.

"Crunch!" I commanded. Lola snarled as she bit down on Emolga's wing when it made contact, throwing it across the room. Emolga hit the wall with great force and slid down weakly, and Elesa frowned and recalled her pokemon.

"Emolga is unable to battle! Deino wins!" Clyde said. I sighed in relief and crossed my arms, giving Elesa a proud grin.

"That's two. You can't switch on me anymore." I told her. Elesa smiled as she called out her Zebstrika again, who snorted and dug its hoof into the ground. The final battle was about to begin.

"Headbutt!"

"Flame Charge!"

We both cried out our attacks simultaneously, and our pokemon struggled with their paralysis while they charged towards each other. Being much bigger and heavier, Zebstrika was able to overpower Lola and throw her back.

'_I'm sorry Vixen, I tried._' She told me as she fell over. I smiled and recalled her, giving her pokeball a kiss before placing it back on my lanyard. She had done just fine, given her all, and that's all I could have asked for. I was down to my last pokemon, and so was she. Whoever got the more powerful attack out would win. Gritting my teeth, I threw my pokeball with all my might, and Sarah appeared in a shower of sparkles and crackling. Elesa blinked at me in confusion before she remembered I had a Zoroark, but I wasn't going to give her time to correct her mistake.

"Fury Swipes!" I commanded. Zachary snarled as he rushed over to Zebstrika, slashing at it over and over again. He shuddered once from the paralysis, and Zebstrika took that opportunity to rear up and slam its hooves into Zachary. The Zoroark gagged as he was thrown back at me, but he struggled to his feet, looking at Zebstrika in determination. He wasn't ready to back down and neither was I. With a snort, I grinned at Elesa and clenched my fist.

"Use Toxic!" I commanded. Elesa blinked at me in confusion as Zachary sucked in air, raising one of his claws. He brought his arm down and punched himself in the stomach, spewing the purple stream at Zebstrika. It hit the pokemon dead on, but because it was paralyzed Toxic would not affect it.

"I think you hit your head harder than we thought." Elesa said, putting a hand on her hip. I smirked as Zachary shook himself off.

"We'll see about that! Night Slash!" I commanded. Zachary whined as his body crackled from the yellow sparks, and Elesa chuckled.

"Time to end this. Zebstrika, Flame Charge!" She commanded. Zebstrika became covered in flames as it ran towards the trapped Zachary, but I grinned as it suddenly fell. It stepped in the slippery Toxic and lost its footing, delaying it long enough for Zachary to overcome his paralysis and rush in for the final blow, bringing his glowing claws to Zebstrika chest and throwing it back. Zebstrika fell at its trainer's feet, and after some minor struggling, it fell unconscious.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle, Zoroark wins! The Victory goes to the challenger Vixen!" Clyde said as the crowd erupted in jeers and cheers. Mostly jeers, but I didn't care. I ran over on the skinny catwalk to Zachary and tackled the tall fox into the ground, cuddling him tightly while he panted. Zachary smiled as he hugged me back, and he pushed me away so I could get up.

"Return Zachary, you did great. I'll get you some help soon." I promised. Zachary smiled at me and nodded as he laid his head down, allowing the pokeball to pull him in while Sorrel crawled onto the catwalk, running over and cuddling my leg. I smiled and bent down to pick him up as the floor shifted, the Toxic-covered catwalk replacing itself with a clean one. Elesa strutted over as the gym music played over the speakers, and she grinned proudly at me while she held out her fist.

"I've never seen someone use Toxic like that before. Congratulations on your victory. I promise the rest of your gym battles won't be nearly as annoying as this one was. As proof of your victory over me and over more obstacles than you can throw a pokeball at, I present you with the Bolt Badge." She said, uncurling her fingers to reveal the lightning-bolt shaped badge. I picked up the yellow and orange pendent and smiled at it, whooping loudly in triumph before clipping it into my lanyard. With one last smile at Elesa, and a hug to show her I had no hard feelings, I made my way out of the gym. I stepped into the amusement park and leaned against the wall of the building, still holding Sorrel, when Carina and Grimsley emerged. They crossed their arms as they regarded me with pride. I grinned at them as I straightened myself, and I couldn't help but snicker.

"I love her, I appreciate her help in fixing me up, and it was great to win a badge the old fashioned way, but I think I hate electric pokemon now." I said. Grimsley snorted in amusement while Carina laughed at me, holding her gut as she composed herself.

"I feel your pain, I really do. She was my fourth badge too, only when I fought her, she pulled TWO Emolga on me. You got lucky she switched one out for Flaaffy." She said in between laughs.

"Mother of Arceus." I said. Carina continued to giggle as she nodded, and Grimsley chuckled as he strode over to me.

"We'll walk you to the pokemon center so you can heal up. I suggest you get a room for the night, it's a shame to visit Nimbasa without experiencing the night life. I'd join you, but I'm afraid MOTHER won't let me." He said, adding a jab at Carina who grinned wickedly at him. I smiled and got off of the wall, leaving the amusement park with my master and friend on either side of me.

4 Badges down, 4 to go. I had 4 pokemon on my team and one of them was fully evolved. As we made our way through Nimbasa, I reflected on all that I had accomplished thus far, and I was proud. I had quite a bit of help along the way on my journey, but for the most part I had come so far, and I had my pokemon to thank. 

TBC

I had to add that disclaimer so that if anyone gets butthurt about me writing about amature surgery, they don't whine to me about mis-informing the public.

I didn't like this chapter that much. I felt like I was rushing myself through it. Maybe a fun chapter about playing in the amusement park will help.*

So, I decided to make Vixen's injury a bit more severe than I initially planned. At first, I just wanted her to have been hit enough to be knocked out for a few hours, but then I decided that if I made it a bit more serious, it'd help her character some in giving her a reason to think her teacher would want to whisk her away to safety until the matter with Team Plasma has been dealt with. Good thing the Hero of Truth was there though, because he probably would have.

Also, I really do hate Emolga. And Elesa. The Nimbasa gym battle is the hardest gym battle in the history of pokemon. Even Whitney isn't as bad as Elesa is. Her and her fucking Emolga. Whoever programmed her and her team is an evil bastard, and a genius. And I love Twist Mountain in Winter. Icirrus is just a few seconds away. I tend to kinda ignore that part of the game until a Winter month just because I hate map puzzle |D

What is the wormlike pokemon that helped Zachary? Could it be the same pokemon from the sewer or is it different? Why is it so interested in Vixen? Only time will tell.

*Actually, according to the Doc manager this has over 3500 words, but I still don't like it.


	28. Chapter 27: Cory's Out of Character?

So after I made it to the pokemon center, Carina made good on her word and took Grimsley back to the pokemon league to rest. Where she would go after that, I didn't know. She wouldn't tell me, but I was still free to call her when I needed to talk to her. So as I sat in the lobby while Nurse Joy took care of my pokemon, I played with my X-Transceiver while the sky darkened. In a few hours, I'd be free to play in Nimbasa's amusement park like Grimsley told me.

"Hello loser." Cory said as he flopped into the seat next to me, leaning into my personal space to see what I was doing.

"What do you want?" I asked him, annoyed.

"Where'd you get that X-Transceiver Plus? No way YOU have that kind of money." He said as he grabbed my wrist, looking at my X-Transceiver. I tried to yank my wrist free, but he kept a firm grip on it and reached to take it off, and I growled. Sorrel jumped on my lap from the other seat beside me and flared his head flames under Cory's arms. He yelped and pulled his hands away, glaring at me.

"Is THAT anyway to thank the guy who gave you his Growlithe and called the Gym Leader to find your pokemon? You ungrateful runt." He said angrily. I glared at him and crossed my arms while Sorrel stood at attention.

"You mean the same guy whose stupidity LED to my pokemon being stolen? Besides, I DID repay you for that. I was the one who saved your miserable bum from Team Plasma last night." I said, making him angrier. He scoffed at me and stood up, moving in front of me while I turned back to my X-Transceiver. With Sorrel in my lap, he didn't dare try anything. Cory just stood there, thinking angry angry thoughts at me, and I didn't pay him any mind as I surfed the web. I stopped for a moment and reached into my bag, pulling out my medication and a water bottle.

"What's that for?" Cory asked. I swallowed one of the large pills with a slight gag, swallowing several times before putting the water bottle away.

"I took a pipe to the head while I was training. Gave me a slight concussion and a very nasty head wound." I said, flipping my head forward to show him my stitches. Cory hissed at the injury and I lifted my head again, adjusting my hair to hide the injury. We remained silent as Cory sat down again. After awhile, he spoke.

"Does it hurt?" He asked me.

"It did at first, but that's what the medication is for." I answered. Was he worried about me? This was so unlike the douchebag I grew up with. Why wasn't he laughing at my pain.

"Did you report it?" He continued. I shook my head and looked around to see if anyone was listening.

"No, and I won't. It wouldn't be a good idea." I said quietly.

"And why not?" Cory asked stuffily.

"Remember the raid on the S.S. Thundurus in Castelia?" I asked him.

"Yeah, what about it?" He replied, tilting his head.

"I was on it when that ship appeared. The ship that attacked us had Team Plasma's logo on their sail." I told him. He blinked several times before pulling out a pokeball, looking at it sternly.

"That's not what Grimsley said on TV." He told me. I smirked as I opened up a tab on my X-Transceiver's screen.

"I'm going to the UNN website, watch that newscast again." I told him, pulling up the video. Cory pulled out a pair of earbuds and plugged them into the audio jack, giving me one end while he kept the other. We listened to the newscast again and Cory frowned.

"I don't know how I didn't pick up on this, that guy was trying to blame pokemon for that attack?" He asked, looking at me. I smirked and took my wrist away, giving him back his earbud.

"Yep. But yeah, Grimsley neither confirmed, nor denied Team Plasma's return. There is no need to get Unova into a panic right now until the Pokemon League has figured out how to handle this. Until they do, we'll have to be careful with our pokemon." I told him as Nurse Joy called for me. I stood up to collect my pokemon, and I recalled Sorrel and sent out Lola in his place.

"How do you feel Lola?" I asked her. Lola smiled at me and rubbed her head against my knee.

'_I feel much better. Did we win?_' She asked. I smiled and kneeled down, taking my Bolt Badge and pressing it gently against her nose.

"We did, and I have all three of you to thank." I told her. Lola's smile widened and she reared up, putting her paws on my chest and leaning in to give me a hug. I hugged her back and stood, picking her up as Cory walked over to us.

"So listen, Nimbasa's amusement park is a lot of fun at night, and it's better when there are two people." He said, blushing profusely. Lola growled at him from in my arms, but I grinned wickedly.

"Are you asking me out on a date with you?" I asked. Lola made a confused sound as Cory's blush deepened, and he crossed his arms and turned his head away.

"Of course not, I can get a MUCH better girlfriend than some runt who barely towers over my stomach. I only offered because I feel sorry for you because of that gash on your head." He snapped. I grew annoyed for a moment, but I smirked at him anyway as I carried Lola towards the pokemart.

"Whatever you say Cory. Fine, I'll accompany you into the amusement park tonight. See you at 7:30." I told him as I went through the doors, setting down Lola so she could help me carry our groceries.

'_What was THAT about?_' She asked me in a suspicious tone. I snickered at her as I pulled out a shopping basket, looping the handles around her neck.

"I'm thinking practically here. I want to play in the amusement park, but it's the most fun at night. Amusement parks are VERY crowded and it would be stupid to wander around one at night on my own. Frankly, I'd rather go with Grimsley or Carina, or even, Arceus forbid, Shauntal, but since they are all busy, Cory is the next best thing." I told her as I put a few cans of pokemon food in the basket hanging off her neck. She snorted and stomped her foot angrily.

'_Yeah, because he was such a fan-fucking-tastic bodyguard in Castelia. He did a great job rescuing us from Team Plasma._' She said irritably. I smirked and took a box from the shelf, analyzing the contents.

"And he paid terribly for that. After they got away I knocked his block off, and he gave me the Growlithe we used to find you. And he got attacked by Team Plasma the next night, and even though I had Reshiram save him from that, we still made him suffer. He won't pull that again." I explained.

'_What happened to that Growlithe anyway?_' She asked as I put the box in the basket.

"I'm guessing he went back to Cory when Burgh took you guys to the pokemon center after Carina rescued us." I replied. Lola said nothing more to me as we continued our shopping in comfortable silence, and secretly I was looking forward to the night ahead. Not so secret from Lola though, who grew intrigued at the part where I would include her in the fun.

'_Will I like this "amusement park"?_' She asked. I gave her a toothy grin as I petted her horn while we walked to the counter.

"You'll have a blast." Was all I said as we made our purchase.

TBC

God I left a ton of plotholes. I forgot about poor Yapper too. I'm sorry XD

A filler chappie, mainly to show Cory's slow rise to maturity. He's asking a half-pint on a date, lol.


	29. Chapter 28: A Date With Cory

So as it turns out, Cory DOES know how to be decent. We met at the entrance to the theme park at 7:30, just as I said, and he was waiting with Wotter. The little Dewott seemed happy to see me and he walked over to me, giving Lola a pat on the shoulder. I gave Cory a smirk and we walked in, and actually had fun.

We first tried out some game booths, like Emolga Hunter and Hydreigon Ring Toss. I rocked at Emolga Hunter and managed to hit the flying cardboard with ping pong balls several times, aided by my newfound hatred for the flying squirrel, and I won a bunch of tickets. Hydreigon Ring Toss, however, proved to be my downfall.

See, the way to play Hydreigon Ring Toss is to throw the rings at a Hydreigon, which was real in this case, and try to get them hooked on its wings. The farther the wing you hit, the more tickets you got, and if you could get a ring around all three heads and the tail you would win a bonus prize. Unfortunately, the heads were constantly moving up and down and the tail was wagging, and even though I had a lot of practice with pokeballs I still can't throw to save my life. I was able to net ONE wing, and that was only out of pity. I just knew it.

"Out of the way, loser. Let me show you how it's done." Cory said as he paid the vendor and grabbed some rings. I could feel my eye twitch as Cory started throwing the rings, and Lola picked up on it. She mouthed something at Hydreigon, who smirked and began to bob its heads and wags its tail faster, and I looked down curiously at the Deino.

"What did you do?" I whispered to her.

'_Nothing, I just asked him if he could really make him work for it._' Lola said with a snort. This was her own way of getting back at Cory, I guessed, and he seemed really frustrated about it. I could tell by the annoyed groans he made every time he missed. I rolled my eyes and, when the vendor wasn't looking, held up a pokeblock for dragon-like pokemon. Hydreigon smirked and slowed down, allowing Cory to net its three heads and the tail. As he cheered, the vendor turned around and started counting out the tickets, and I sidestepped the counter and made my way to the pokemon, petting it's middle head softly and giving it some pokeblock.

"You are very sweet, thanks for a great game." I told him. Hydreigon smiled as he consumed his treat, looking over at me with a smirk and licking my cheek as his trainer led me away.

"Thanks for being so nice to him. Most people don't like my Hydreigon, especially the ones who lose. You've got a good heart sweetie." Said the man. I smiled at him while Cory and I left, and Hydreigon yelled out at Lola, who smiled.

'_He says thanks for being a good sport and having a gentle hand. He told me usually his trainer has to recall him when people lose because they get angry._' She said with an indignant snort. I sighed at that. Some people took carnival games way too seriously. It didn't surprise me they'd blame the workers for their lack of skill. Still, the pokemon seemed to enjoy it.

"Hey loser, gimmie your tickets." Cory demanded as he put a firm hand on my shoulder. I glared at him for a moment and sighed, pulling out my rope.

"Fine, but I get to use the prize you get first." I told him, handing them to him. He smirked as he walked away, and I rolled my eyes as I made my way to the first ride.

'_Why did you do that?_' Lola asked as we stepped in line.

"This place doesn't have anything I can buy with tickets that I want. I'm here for fun, and speaking of fun, you ready to fly?" I asked her as we approached the front of the line. Lola gave me a confused squeak as the man who operated the ride took a close look at me.

"You tall enough to ride, kid?" Asked the sleazy man.

"You sober enough to care?" I replied. The man snorted in amusement as he ushered me and Lola through. I lifted up the fluffy little dragon and put her inside the pod as I climbed in beside her, closing the top hatch. I fastened the seatbelts around us and looked out between the bars, my stomach bracing itself for the ride.

'_So uh, what is this?_' Lola asked uneasily, nosing the bars. I patted her head as the pod jolted forward for the next customers to get in the other side.

"It's a ride. In a few minutes, when all of the pods are loaded up, they are going to go up in the air and throw us around a little. It'll be fun." I told her. She tilted her head at me as we jolted forward again. Lola and I sat patiently and talked for a few minutes as the ride jolted every now and then, loading passengers. After what seemed like forever, the pod vibrated and we could hear the ride pump out steam.

"_THE SOAR-A-TWIRL IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH, ALL PASSENGERS MUST SECURE THE SAFETY HATCH AND FASTEN THEIR SEAT BELTS IMMEDIATELY. ALL ONLOOKERS MUST STAY BEHIND THE FENCE WHILE THE RIDE IS IN MOTION. PLEASE KEEP ALL BODY PARTS IN THE RIDE AT ALL TIMES UNTIL THE RIDE COMES TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP." _The intercom said as the pods were lifted into the air. Lola whined and squirmed a bit, and I looped my arm around her neck to pet her down.

'_Vixen, I want off. I changed my mind I don't want to fly. Let me off!_' She said, whimpering. I chuckled and hugged her tight as she stuck her neck out.

"Just relax, it's okay. Enjoy the ride, it'll be okay." I said comfortingly. The ride started to move, slowly at first, but then it picked up speed. Lola and I screamed as the pod started flipping wildly, the wind hitting our faces as the pod continued to move forward even while spinning.

"OH GOD THIS IS HOW WE DIE!"

'_I LOVE YOU VIXEN!'_

We continued to scream as the ride slowed, and finally, it stopped completely as the pods lowered to the ground. Lola and I clutched each other tightly as the operator opened up our pod, undoing the seatbelt. Without releasing my grip on Lola, or vice versa, I stiffly walked out of the pod and off the platform, a look of terror glued to our faces. Cory had returned and looked at us smugly.

"What's the matter? Too scary for the baby?" He asked snottily. After a minute or two, Lola and I relaxed and I set her down, Wotter coming up and patting us softly.

"That."

'_Was._'

"AWESOME!"

'_AWESOME!_' Lola and I cried out in sync. Lola reared up and roared in delight while I ran around her, cackling like a madwoman, and Cory and Wotter blinked several times at us.

"Uhh…." He said, blinking stupidly at us. I grabbed his hand and pulled him behind us while Lola and I sought out another ride.

We rode on a few more rides and ate some food. The kind of food that is as expensive as it is nasty, and surprisingly enough Cory and I had a lot of fun. I thought I was going to have to rely on Lola for companionship for most of the night, but when he really wanted to Cory could be a decent guy. He even paid for the food, and let me on some rides before him. At the end of the night, we all grew tired, and decided to put in for one last ride.

The Ferris Wheel is perhaps the pride of Nimbasa City, even moreso than the gym. It has been here forever and was beloved by all. You could not go to Nimbasa City without riding on the wheel. Cory and I took up a car with our pokemon dozing off in our laps, and we looked out at the night sky as it lit up with fireworks that had various shapes and colors. It was the perfect end to a perfect night. I cuddled my dozing Deino while I watched the lights in the sky, and I heard Cory take a deep breath.

"Hey…Vixen." He started, sounding almost unsure.

"Yes Cory?" I asked, turning to him with a suspicious stare.

"Look, I'm sorry." He continued. I tilted my head and clutched Lola tight while he swallowed.

"About what?" I asked, my suspicion growing. He glared at me and gritted his teeth, reaching into his backpack.

"Shut up, you know what just, take this." He said, thrusting something into my hand. I blinked as I turned the object over in my hand, but I couldn't identify what it was.

"What is it?" I asked. Cory huffed as Dewott reached out, grabbing my wrist and holding it up, my grip on Cory's present tightening. Cory lifted his hand and pushed something against the item in my hand, and I gasped when they lit up. It was a Shinx Relationship Lanturn.

Relationship Lanturns are very special things here in Unova. They are a pair of hard-plastic figurines with exposed batteries somewhere on their bodies. When you touch the two pokemon together, they light up with enough light to fill even a cave. They represent different relationships depending on the pokemon you get, and the Shinx Lanturns represent friendly rivalry. The two pokemon were in a fighting stance, but had smiles on their faces and respect in their eyes. When you turn them around and touch their tails, they lit up brightly and filled the whole car.

"Cory…" I said quietly.

"Look, I've been doing some thinking since that battle Alder made us go through. I'll admit you've got spunk runt, more than I gave you credit for, but you've got a long way to go if you want MY respect. But I'll give you a shot." He said, adding the last part quietly. I smiled in the sky-blue light and kept my female-maned Shinx held up high, tail touching his male-maned Shinx.

"Thanks Cory. And thanks for spending time with me here." I said warmly. Cory grunted as he pulled his half of the lantern away inside his bag. I clutched my half tightly before I put it away as well, and we sat in a comfortable silence as the wheel slowly turned, the fireworks still lighting up the night sky.

Soon, we got too tired to keep going, so Cory and I recalled our pokemon and I called out Zachary. Cory glared at the shiny Zoroark, recognizing him as the pokemon who gave him the runaround way back at Route 20. Zachary just smirked as he crouched down, allowing me to climb onto his back.

"Let him on, okay?" I told the Zoroark. Zachary nodded at me and smiled as Cory shoved me back, getting on Zachary in front of me.

"I am NOT sitting backseat to YOU." He grumbled. I rolled my eyes and patted Zachary's side, silently commanding him to move. Zachary quickly padded out of the park and through the streets, making his way to the pokemon center while I yawned, leaning against Cory who put up no arguments. When we had arrived, I pushed Cory down from Zachary's back and climbed further up, grabbing his purple mane in my fingers tightly.

"I had a fun time tonight, thanks Cory." I said as Zachary made his way to the hallway where the rooms lay, not giving Cory a chance to respond. We passed door after door until we finally made it to the room I would be staying in. I dismounted my Zoroark and let us in. I let my pokemon out, asking Sorrel and Sarah to stay quiet, while I changed into my pajamas, and I thought about the night I had.

Cory had changed considerably since we started our journey. He was still an ass, but he was a tolerable ass who needed a bigger hole punched in his ego. I knew just the Deino to do that, but we needed to get stronger first. Crawling into bed with my tired little Lola curled up beside me, I began to plot my route to Driftveil City, where my fifth badge was waiting.

"Get some good sleep guys, we'll need it for the road ahead of us." I said, yawning and turning onto my side.

TBC

Yeah this chapter was kinda random and all over the place. The road to Driftveil should be better. This chapter was mainly for me to practice describing items and actions.

And here's a little guide to help those who get lost during my dialogue:

"Normal Speech"

'_Telepathic Speech_'

_Media_

"_Media Speech_"

Closing line since I can't get my fucking borders to work.


	30. Chapter 29: Two Sides of The Same Coin

The next morning, or should I say afternoon, I overslept. I was so used to being woken up by someone else, I did not wake up until a few minutes before noon. I wasn't late for anything special or whatever, but this is not a good habit to get into. I pulled myself out of sleep and quickly got dressed, escorting my brood out of the room and into the lobby of the pokemon center. They stopped serving breakfast, but there were some sandwiches out, which we helped ourselves to before I recalled all except for Lola, and we made our way out of the pokemon center and Nimbasa City.

'_So what do we do now?_' Lola asked as we walked along the black paved road of Route 5. I yawned as I stretched my arms over my head.

"Keep going until we get to Driftveil, challenge the Gym, and move onto the next town?" I replied. Lola made a small sound of agreement as we walked, and I put my hand on her head, squinting my eyes at something in the distance.

'_What's wrong?_' Lola asked. I frowned and took Zachary's pokeball out, opening it and letting Sorrel pop out.

"Zachary, how powerful are your illusions? Can you make yourself invisible?" I asked. 'Sorrel' jumped and did a backflip, turning into my quiet purple Zoroark who gave me a soft smile, nodding. He barked softly at Lola, who looked up at me.

'_He says he could also hide you, if that is what you were getting at._' She told me. I nodded at Zachary and pointed ahead of me.

"I wanna know whats going on, and I'd prefer getting out of the experience without a pipe to the head this time." I said with a chuckle. Zachary snickered as his eyes glowed a bright blue, waves of power emerging from him. Soon he and Lola had disappeared, but I felt something grab my hand.

'_He says we need to keep ahold of each other or he will have to break the illusion so we can find each other. You lead, we'll follow._' Lola told me. I took a deep breath and started forward, shifting my hand on Lola's head to grab her horn and leading the pair forward, towards the bridge. What we saw confused me even more than Zachary's illusion powers.

There were four people in front of the bridge, two were dressed up as knights while the other two were from Team Plasma. I was tempted to go over and and start battling, but they seemed to be in a battle of words, not pokemon.

"How dare you speak that name! He betrayed us! We needed him and he turned his back on us!" Said one of the Plasma grunts in a female voice.

"N is no King, he is a cowardly child who fled when things got hard!" Said the other in a male voice. The two knights looked like they were about to cry as they stood in front of the grunts.

"That is not true! Milord was misled, he left because he needed to reaffirm his ideals!" Said one of the knights, who sounded male.

"We were not liberating pokemon from cruel trainers, we were ripping loving families apart. Ghetsis had his own agenda for Unova, one that did not fit our King's ideals." Said the other, who was also male. Team Plasma glared at them and made a disgusted sound, taking out their pokeballs.

"We're sick of your bullshit, go take your bleeding hearts to someone who cares before our pokemon do that for you!" The male said dangerously. The knights looked at each other sadly before making their way across the bridge. The two grunts huffed as they put their pokeballs away, wandering into the brush. I couldn't help but whimper quietly as Zachary ended his illusion, the dark fox looking at me sadly while Lola rubbed herself against me.

"What was THAT all about? And why do I feel so uneasy?" I asked, sinking to my knees on the pavement. Lola whined and leaned against me while Zachary put a paw on my shoulder, and I grabbed it and one of Lola's paws and squeezed tightly. Looking up at my Zoroark, I gave him a smile as I let go of his paw, reaching up to stroke the soft fur on his nose.

"I hate to ask this, but can I have a ride to Driftveil?" I asked. Zachary smiled as he pulled away, bending down in front of me and Lola with a soft growl. I smiled as I stood up, picking Lola up and lifting her onto Zachary's back before climbing onto him behind her. Zachary stood up and shifted so that we'd be more comfortable before he started trotting onto the bridge.

'_Zachary says that he'll carry you all over the world. And so would the rest of us. You don't have to ask for our loyalty and protection, you already have it._' Lola said, warbling softly. I smiled and leaned in to rub my face in her down, clutching Zachary's soft fur in my fingers.

"I love you guys." I told them, earning pleased sounds from my pokemon. Zachary continued to trot across the bridge, all of us silent and basking in this small moment of peace.

It was not to last long though, for soon after we got on the other side of the Driftveil Drawbridge, we heard a deep roar, and Zachary and Lola were forced into their pokeballs. I fell on my butt as a dark shadow loomed over me, and I had only one second to jump forward as a clinking thud sounded behind me. I looked to see the Team Plasma grunts from before, one digging a crowbar into the ground where I once was. I grew angry and stood, ready to attack, when I heard a screech on my left. I felt something wrap around me and pull me back, and I cried out in pain as my world went dark.

"-ou alright?" Said a voice I vaguely recognized as I was coming to.

'_Vixen?_' I heard Lola say in my mind.

"Deino." She said in her speaking voice. I heard shuffling around the room as someone put their hand on my head.

"It seems our friend is waking up. Come, little one, open your eyes. You are safe." Said a warm, elderly voice.

'_Wake up Vixen, it's okay, they are friends._' Lola assured me. I felt something soft and fluffy push itself against my hand, and I recognized it as her head. Flexing my fingers in her down, I slowly opened my eyes and saw a group of knights and an old man surrounding me in a dimly lit room. I groaned and slowly sat up, feeling a paw on my back gently push me. I looked behind me and saw Zachary smile warmly at me, helping me up. On my left and right, respectively, Sarah and Lola looked up at me, and Sorrel laid out across my feet at the end of the small bed I was in.

"What happened?" I asked. One of the knights stepped forward, a Galvantula hanging over his head.

"You were being attacked by Team Plasma. I'm very sorry, but I had to use Galvantula's Electro-Web to whisk you away from them. Please forgive me." He said with a bow. Galvantula chirped at me from over its trainer's head, giving me a sad look.

'_Galvantula says she is sorry for doing that to you as well._' Lola translated. I smiled and reached up, petting the electric spider as I looked around at my surroundings again.

"So, where am I? And who are you?" I asked. The old man carefully moved my sleepy Quilava and sat on the end of the bed, holding out the fire weasel to me. I took Sorrel and hugged him against my chest as the old man smiled at me.

"Such a wonderful trainer you must be to garner such love and devotion from your pokemon. Don't worry, child. You are in the safety of our new base. As for who we are, we are Team Plasma." He said. I gasped at the last part and clutched Sorrel tighter, but the man gave me a warm chuckle and a smile that said I could trust him.

"Forgive me, I should say we WERE Team Plasma. My name is Rood, and we are what remains of the movement to liberate pokemon from their trainers. We saw the error of our ways the day Carina challenged our King, and we are still striving to right the wrongs we have done." He said softly. I bit my lip as I thought for a moment, but nodded and let Sorrel into my lap. The Quilava gave a squeaky yawn and curled up in my lap while I studied Rood carefully.

"My name is Vixen. My Master told me all about Team Plasma and the final battle, but he didn't mention anything about you guys and your trying to fix everything." I said, eying him suspiciously. Rood laughed warmly as he clapped his hands together.

"Our guest is quite feisty and healthy, so I think it is safe for you to go back to work. Can someone bring Vixen something warm to drink, please?" He asked. The knights nodded and left the room while Rood then turned to me, still smiling.

"That is quite true, my dear, we have not made our efforts public, but I assure you we are making them. We are working to get all stolen pokemon returned to their owners, and prefer to do this behind the curtain, away from the public eye." He said. I tilted my head as I pet Sorrel.

"Why? If you wanted to return everyone that badly, the media would be a great way to do it." I said. Rood chuckled at me as be clasped his hands together.

"True, but the public would see it as saving face. They would not view it as a sincere apology, they would see it as a group of people trying to make up for the fact that we got caught with our hand in the cookie jar." He told me. It did make sense, actually. Plus, a lot of people would try to scam really rare or powerful pokemon out of Rood's group if they did make this public. I looked up as a female knight brought in a steaming cup and handed it over to me. The amber liquid was suspicious, but I knew my pokemon would protect me if it had anything nasty in it, which I highly doubted at this point.

"Mmm, apple cider." I said with a warm smile. Rood returned the smile as we sat in silence. After awhile, Rood stood from the bed and motioned for me to follow, and after a little trouble with the sheets I rose to do so. Leaving the small bedroom, I saw an office of sorts. Rood motioned for me to go forward, and I wandered through the organized chaos, listening in on phone calls asking for trainers who lost certain pokemon, and looked over the shoulders of many knights to see them pulling up databases of registered trainers. I blinked as one waved at me to catch my attention. I walked over to the smiling woman who pulled out a clip board.

"Do you know anyone who lost a pokemon?" She asked, pen poised. I blinked and thought for a moment before shaking my head.

"Not off the top of my head, no. Wait, actually, a neighbor of mine lost a Purrloin a few years ago." I said as my neighbor Hugh came to mind. The woman nodded as she wrote on her clipboard and turned her eyes back to me.

"A few more questions then, where was it stolen from? Did it have a name? Is it male or female? And is there a name associated with it?" She asked. Thinking back, I answered her questions in the order she gave me.

"Aspertia City, no, male, and I think Hugh." I said. The woman wrote down the info I gave her and turned around in her chair, passing off the clipboard to another knight who started typing on a computer. I peered over her shoulder while he typed in the info into this database. After he clicked a button, he looked at me and his coworker sadly.

"Sorry, we don't have a Purrloin of that description in our database. It must still be with the other Team Plasma." He said. I smiled and told him not to worry about it too much, and I was free to return to Rood, who was interacting with my own pokemon.

'_I like him. Can we stay here?_' Lola said as she made a purring sound while he rubbed her chin. I chuckled and patted her head, looking up at Rood.

"Well, thanks for saving us. I need to get to the Driftveil Gym now, can you tell me where it is?" I asked. Rood smiled as he walked to the door, opening it.

"It is just down the hill here to the east. If you are ready, you may challenge it. Clay has been busy lately though, so don't be disappointed if he is not there." He said. I smiled and started out when I felt his hand on my shoulder.

"Will you do me a favor?" He asked. I nodded as he snapped his fingers, a small boy appearing behind us.

"Please take this Zorua with you and show him how kind trainers can help pokemon. He was a dear friend of N's and does not understand why he left. Surely a loving trainer such as yourself can help him." He said. The boy leapt up and flipped backwards, turning into a normal colored Zorua. I smiled as I knelt down to the little pokemon, reaching out to pet it. Zorua growled at me at first, but a warning growl from Zachary quieted him down as I gently patted the tuft on his head.

"I'd be happy to. Come on little one, let's go see the world that awaits us!" I said, picking up the reluctant fox as I ran out the door with my pokemon close behind.

Badge 5, here I come!

TBC

Gosh I am so late with this chapter, please forgive me. ;3;

This was actually hard to write, cuz there was a LOT of rewriting from the original plot here. For those who have not played BW2 yet and are okay with spoilers:

You get attacked by Pirate-Ninja Team Plasma on the way to Route 5 after you get the Bolt Badge, and you and Hugh beat their faces in a double battle. Then at Route 5 you have to smack around Charles in a multi battle (Triple in White 2, Rotation in Black 2) in order to clear the drawbridge. After you cross that bridge, you find Pirate-Ninja Team Plasma having an argument with Knight Team Plasma, and Hugh comes in and throws a massive temper tantrum and chases the Pirate-Ninja. Then the Knight kidnaps you and takes you to the little church thing next to the gym, where Rood tries *and fails* to beat your face in, and then he takes you and the freeloader Hugh inside the church and tells you about what happened to Team Plasma after N left Unova, and then after Hugh throws another tantrum and runs out, Rood gives you N's Zorua.

So yeah, this was a challenging chapter cuz I had to decide what to keep in and what not to. I contemplated bringing in Charles, but really I don't like writing unnecessary battles, and all Charles does is introduce the new battle styles, which in and of themselves contribute nothing to the plot. I actually don't like writing Double Battles, because I have to actually do some research for those and look up my opponent's moves based on my own team's levels. It's annoying. I'd rather not do that for two pokemon, but I definitely won't do it for three. Though, writing a Rotation Battle might be fun.

Anyway, enjoy. Chapter 30 soon, I promise.


	31. Chapter 30: The Quake Badge

When I got to the gym, Clyde told me that Clay was indeed taking challenges right now, but I'd have to find him first to do so. Which meant crawling around in dark tunnels without any light. As I stumbled around in the dark, holding tightly onto Lola's horn to guide me, I began thinking about my upcoming Gym Battle. I held Zorua close as I thought it over, and Lola stopped.

"What's wrong? Did you find him?" I asked, looking around the pitch-black room.

'_No but, I have an idea._' Lola said.

"I hope it's an idea on how to find the gym leader." I said, sighing and sitting down. Lola snorted as she moved her head, nipping my fingers. I yelped and pulled my hand back while Zorua giggled at me.

'_Don't complain to ME about blindness. No, I was thinking of Sorrel._' She said. My eyes widened and I face-palmed, grabbing Sorrel's pokeball.

"Right, how stupid his flames can guide me." I said, calling out the fiery weasel. Sorrel's flames lit up as he looked around, giving me his trade-mark smile with his tongue sticking out.

'_That's not what I meant, but okay._' Lola said as I stood up, gesturing for Sorrel to move forward.

"Lead the way buddy. Then what DID you mean Lola?" I asked as Sorrel started forward. Lola walked beside me slowly as our small source of light guided us through the mines.

'_Let's keep this conversation between us. Listen, Sorrel is silly, but he's not stupid._' She started.

'_I never said he was. I love Sorrel very much._' I replied. Lola nodded and made a weird sound as we made our way to the platforms. Okay, so now we didn't have to totally stumble around in the dark. Awesome.

'_Don't recall him._' Lola told me. I blinked as I got onto a stand, and I obeyed her. Sorrel continued to lead us through the gym, stumbling on the automated walkways every now and then.

'_Lola, what are you getting at?_' I asked.

'_Sorrel loves you too, Vixen. He feels like he is failing as your pokemon. Like you can't really rely on him. He told me he feels like you trust Zachary more than you trust him, and neither me or Sarah can convince him otherwise, and Zachary is too scared to say anything._' Lola told me. I blinked and stared at Sorrel in silence, watching as he proudly carried himself through the gym.

'_He, he doesn't look sad._' I told her. Lola made a small "hmm" sound and nodded.

'_No, he doesn't, but I know he's sad. I told Sarah that when you first got him, he lost the very first gym battle in a rather embarrassing way, and she said he took that really hard. He was only slightly more useful in the second battle, but he failed at the third gym battle, a battle that he SHOULD have soloed because of Fire's advantage over Bug types. And he was just on the sidelines in the Nimbasa battle. He feels like you are afraid to depend on him for battling._' Lola explained. I sniffled and brought my hand up to wipe my eyes, giving Zorua the chance to bolt from my arms. Lola quickly snapped him up and held him by the scruff in her teeth, growling at him to quiet him down.

'_What do I do? How can I fix this?_' I asked. We saw a light in the distance, and Sorrel stopped, looking behind me questioningly.

'_You tell me. You are his trainer, and I am merely his teammate. We look to you for guidance, not the other way around._' She said in a matter-of-fact voice. I locked eyes with Sorrel and stared him down, and finally, an idea came to me. I ran over and scooped up Sorrel in my arms, looking back at Lola.

"Try to keep up!" I commanded as I took off for the light, Lola running behind me. As we ran towards the light, the many crystals around us glowed a beautiful bright green, and I thought of how perfect this was for my plan. Things were going to get really pretty. And so as I slowed down, clutching Sorrel tightly, we saw a man hunched over a crystal. I cleared my throat as I walked up to him, and he raised himself up, turning around and tilting his cowboy hat at me.

"Howdy youngster. Here fer a battle?" He asked. I smiled as I set down Sorrel while Clyde appeared, and I immediately sought out the white-haired man. Standing on my toes, he leaned down and I whispered something into his ear, and he pulled away, looking at me in shock.

"Are you sure?" He asked. I smiled and nodded as I made my way back to Lola, Zorua and Sorrel, and I grabbed my other pokeballs, tossing them into the air. 2 Shelgon burst out of the balls, and I rolled my eyes as one of them turned into Zachary, turning to the Gym Leader who gave me a confused look.

"What badge is this darlin?" He asked.

"This will be my fifth badge, sir." I said politely. He snorted as he crossed his arms.

"Well this is a 3 on 3 match then, so ya can't use all of them pokemon ya got. It ain't too bright to show me all of yer pokemon neither." He said. I smiled as I took my place on my side of the field.

"I don't intend to. I asked Clyde for a special challenge, and the others are out to watch." I said as Clyde got on the sidelines along with my pokemon.

"The battle between challenger Vixen and Gym leader Clay is about to begin. Normally, this would be a 3 on 3 battle with no substitutions for the Gym Leader, but I have received a special request. Clay may use 3 pokemon, but the challenger is permitted only one. Begin when ready!" He said while Clay stared at me in shock.

"What in tarnation are you doin?" He asked. My other pokemon stared at me while I smirked.

"I'm going to challenge you with one pokemon and one pokemon alone. My Quilava is very strong, and I fully believe he is ready for this. Let's go Sorrel." I said, setting him down. Sorrel looked at me with wide eyes before he crept onto the field, unsure of what was going on.

"That's a mighty cocky move there, lass. Yer arrogance is gonna be yer downfall. Here I come, Krokorock let's go!" He said as a large, tan lizard emerged from the pokeball he threw. I whipped out my pokedex and scanned it.

"_Krokorok, the Desert Croc Pokemon, and the evolved form of Sandile. Krokorok's eyes are protected by a special membrane that blocks sand and gives them the ability to see heat, allowing them to move about in the darkness._" It said. What a handy pokemon for a miner. I smirked at Clay as Sorrel looked at me in confusion.

"Arrogance has nothing to do with it. Let's do it Sorrel! Flame Wheel!" I commanded. Sorrel took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he stoked his fire. His head and rump burst into flames as he charged towards Krokorok, rolling at the last minute. Krokorok yelped and Clay smirked as his pokemon caught my rotating Quilava.

"Use Crunch!" He commanded. Krokorok's jaws opened wide and it clamped onto Sorrel, who cried out in pain.

"Get yourself out of there with Ember!" I commanded. Sorrel snarled as he bent his neck, coughing out small flames on Krokorok's belly. Krokorok whimpered as it threw Sorrel, who righted himself.

"Sand Tomb!" Clay called. Krokorok took a deep breath and gave a wheeze as it blasted sand at Sorrel.

"Swift!" I commanded. Sorrel tilted his head up and threw it forward, coughing up multiple stars at the Sand Tomb. The two attacks collided, resulting in an explosion that covered the field in smoke.

"Finish it with Flame Wheel!" I commanded. Sorrel howled as he stomped his feet, becoming engulfed in fire and rushing into the plume of smoke with great speed. That….was not Flame Wheel. I heard Krokorok cry out as it came flying out of the smoke, twitching and dizzy. Clyde watched it closely for a moment before raising his flag.

"Krokorok is unable to battle, Quilava wins!" He declared as Sorrel came trotting back, looking pleased. Clay tilted his hat at me as he recalled his pokemon.

"That's a mighty fine pokemon ye got there. Not too many fire types can turn Flame Wheel into Flame Charge like that. Muh Sandslash will take care of that though." He said, tossing another pokeball as a ball of spikes came tumbling out. I took out my pokedex again to scan it as it uncurled.

"_Sandslash, the Mouse Pokemon, and the evolved form of Sandshrew. Sandslash's scales are very tough, and it curls into a ball to protect itself. Its scales and claws are lost frequently, but always grow back._" It said. I smirked as Sorrel dug his feet into the ground, snorting.

"Alright Sorrel, Flame Charge!" I commanded. Clay smirked at me as he stomped his foot.

"Bulldoze!" He said. Sandslash and Sorrel charged at each other, butting heads. They tried their best to push each other away, but Sorrel was strong enough to stand his ground against the spiky pokemon.

"Go into Rollout!" Clay shouted. Sandslash's spikes flexed outward and it quickly curled in on itself, rolling into Sorrel. Sorrel went flying high, but I knew that wouldn't stop him.

"Counter with Swift!" I told him. Sorrel righted himself in the air and snarled, spitting out the sharp stars that embedded themselves in Sandslash's hard scales. It uncurled briefly to brush away the attack, which was all the time Sorrel needed to land and charge towards it, grabbing Sandslash by the tail and throwing it across the field into a batch of crystals. I blinked several times as Clyde raised his flags.

"Sandslash is unable to battle, Quilava wins!" He said. Clay returned his pokemon while Sorrel stomped over to me, snorting and shaking his head ferociously. He was a totally different pokemon.

"You might want to get control of that pokemon, I don't recall you telling it ter use Strength. Perhaps now is the time ter back out of this here fight until you get that pokemon under control." He said, giving me a stern look. I gritted my teeth and looked at Sorrel nervously, but he snorted at me, giving me a look that I couldn't recognize. He turned to our audience and yelled something at them, and Lola proceeded to translate.

'_Don't listen to him, Vixen. Sorrel trusts you, but he's in the zone right now. Just trust him to have a backup plan when you get stuck. Believe in him._' She told me. I smirked and nodded, crossing my arms in defiance.

"I DO have control of my pokemon. Sorrel and I are just fine, thank you. We know what we are doing." I assured the Gym Leader as Sorrel echoed my confidence with a howl. Clay smirked as he raised a pokeball.

"Well I can respect that, but yer winnin streak ends here. Excadrill, let's take them down!" He said as he threw the ball. A spinning form emerged from the pokeball, landing on the ground with a thud while the pokemon uncurled, roaring at Sorrel. I grabbed my pokedex again and quickly scanned it.

"_Excadrill, the Subterrene Pokemon, and the evolved form of Drilbur. The metal on Excadrill's body has evolved into a heavy steel, making it a perfect partner in the construction of tunnels._" It told me. I nodded as Sorrel's fires flared up.

"We'll see about that, Flame Charge!" I commanded. Sorrel stomped and began to rush at Excadrill, his body covered in violent flames. Excadrill snorted and raised its huge claws, grabbing Sorrel and stopping him in his tracks.

"Bulldoze!" Clay yelled. Excadrill started running, pushing Sorrel back until it rammed him into a crystal that shattered on impact. I gritted my teeth as it released him, and Sorrel stared defiantly at Excadrill, snarling at it.

"Use Flame Charge again and keep at it!" I yelled. Sorrel ran at Excadrill, only to get thrown back again, but my little Quilava was determined, and kept running at Excadrill over and over, screaming in rage. I clenched my fist as I watched Sorrel get thrown back again and again, but he was still unwilling to give up. Gritting my teeth one more time, I stomped my foot as Sorrel was thrown again, landing near my legs.

"Get up Sorrel! Come on, you can do this! You can't let a steel pokemon beat you! Come on, you're better than this, I know you are! You are more than just a flashlight or a stove, you are my cuddle buddy, the first pokemon I evolved on my own! You faced a giant Scolipede without fear, took down a Koffing with a sea of fire, destroyed a Magnemite in one move! Not only that, but every time I fell on my journey, you were always the first one to pick me up and make me smile again! And your friendship with Sarah is what allowed her to push herself to evolving!" I yelled at the fire weasel. Clay made a groaning noise as he crossed his arms.

"Now stop that, if he can't keep going, ya got no right to push him. We're done." Clay told me as he and Excadrill turned around, walking away. Lola growled and started yelling from the sidelines, joined by the other pokemon.

~*Sorrel's P.O.V.*~

It hurt, so bad. I threw everything I had at Excadrill and it wasn't enough. I could never be a pokemon worthy of Vixen except as a cooking and guidance tool. She could say whatever she wanted, but I just can't battle to save my life, or protect hers. I'm worthless.

"Get up Sorrel! Come on, you can do this! You can't let a steel pokemon beat you! Come on, you're better than this, I know you are! You are more than just a flashlight or a stove, you are my cuddle buddy, the first pokemon I evolved on my own! You faced a giant Scolipede without fear, took down a Koffing with a sea of fire, destroyed a Magnemite in one move! Not only that, but every time I fell on my journey, you were always the first one to pick me up and make me smile again! And your friendship with Sarah is what allowed her to push herself to evolving!" I heard Vixen yell. How could she still say that? As much as I hated to, I almost wanted to agree with Clay when he told her to stop pushing me, and I was ready to lay down and let the referee call the match done.

"You've got spunk kid, but spunk isn't enough. Goodbye." Excadrill said as he turned away. I sighed and started to lay down. That Totodile was right, I was not fit to go to a trainer. I'm too soft and cuddly.

"Don't you dare go down, Sorrel!" Lola said, interrupting my thoughts. I turned to look at her, and Sarah looked at me with angry eyes.

"If you go down, you will only prove your worst fear! Vixen believes in you, and so do we!" Sarah yelled in a gravely voice.

"If we thought you were weak, do you honestly think I'd let her go through with this?" Lola asked me. My eye twitched as I turned to them, growling.

"You think I want to do this? That I want to fail my trainer? Face it, Zachary would be better for this battle than I am. I'm just a flashlight and a portable stove." I said with a snort. Lola and Sarah started to yell at me again, but I heard a roaring sound that I did not recognize at first.

"That's enough! I'm sick of you being jealous of me!" Zachary screamed, rushing onto the field. He rammed into me with full force, snarling as he stood between me and Vixen. I stared at him in shock, seeing his angry eyes. This was not the Zachary I came to know. I don't know who he was, but this DEFINITELY wasn't Vixen's Zoroark.

"You're stronger than I am. You can protect her better, you should be battling, not me." I said with a sigh. Zachary snarled as he rushed towards me, slashing at me with his claws in a Fury Swipes.

"Stop that right now! Lola! Tell Vixen not to intervene!" He said, yelling the last part at Lola. The Deino nodded as she turned to our trainer, who was preparing Zachary's pokeball. She looked at us uneasily, but nodded and put the ball away while my teammate faced me. He stood up, towering over me, and slashed at me with Night Slash, throwing me to a crystal.

"You and I both know that you are just as capable as the rest of us. I've been sitting here, watching while everyone tries to help you, and I am sick of watching. You have gotten it into your head that I'm the strongest, I'm the favorite, I'm the one that comes out in a pinch. You're wrong. Lola is the favorite, Sarah and I come out in a pinch, and you. YOU are the strongest. There is no reason you shouldn't have countered that Night Slash." He said, running over to me again and slashing at me.

"You're better than this! Fight me Sorrel! Fight me as though your life depends on it!" He said, clawing me over and over. I grew angry, and started spitting fire at him.

"That's right, fight back Sorrel! Show me what you can do! Prove that you belong on this team! Prove that you deserve to live!" He yelled as he continued to strike. I snarled and latched onto his long claws, flinging him away from me while a fire burned deep inside me. Zachary picked himself up from the crystals, grinning approvingly at me as he padded back to the girls. He sat down next to Lola and looked at me, daring me to try to go down. I snorted as I made my way back to the field, taking my place in front of Vixen. Everyone in the room stared at me as I growled, focusing solely on my foe.

"Hey Excadrill!" I called. The pokemon nodded at me, showing I had his attention.

"I'm going to beat you, and I'm not going to do it with spunk. I'm going to do it with my love for my trainer, and the support of my friends. My trainer believes in me and so do I, I promise I will defeat you, so prepare to lose!" I yelled, rearing up. I slammed my paws into the ground and massive columns of fire burst out of the ground, spinning around me before dying down.

~*Normal P.O.V.*~

I watched as Sorrel and Zachary had it out, confused as to what was happening, but I trusted Lola as she explained what happened.

'_Zachary grew a pair, he's trying to knock some sense into Sorrel. Don't get in the way, Sorrel needs this._' Lola had told me. Clay and his pokemon had turned around and watched the altercation with interest, and when Zachary padded away, Sorrel rushed back to me and yelled at Excadrill, making pillars of fire erupt around him and spin. Clay tipped his hat to me as he and Excadrill returned to their places.

"It seems I judged too soon. Show me what you can do with that Fire Pledge, youngster." He told me, indirectly saying the challenge could continue.

"We'll show you a lot more than that! You ready Sorrel?" I asked. Sorrel howled as his flames flared up. He became engulfed in a bright, white light. As he glowed, he grew to a massive size, his once tiny paws extending. His head became more defined, resembling a cat somewhat while his tail end frayed. When the glow faded, Sorrel reared up on his hind legs and flexed his new claws, growling. I took out my pokedex and scanned my new pokemon.

"_Typhlosion, the Volcano Pokemon, and the final evolution of Cyndaquil. Typhlosion's collar produces flames with heat that vary with its emotions. The angrier it becomes, the hotter the flames will be._" It said. Sorrel let out a massive roar as his neck ignited into flames. Uploading the data of the pokedex into my X-Transceiver, I smiled at his moveset. He came with a brand new move on top of Fire Pledge, and I would have to figure out how to use it. I grinned as Clyde raised his flags.

"The battle between Gym Leader Clay and the challenger Vixen will now resume." He said as everyone cheered.

"Let's rock, Sorrel! Fire Pledge!" I commanded. Sorrel snarled as he raised a foot, stomping it down on the ground. Pillars of fire erupted from the ground and kept sprouting, making a chain towards Excadrill.

"Git underground!" Clay commanded. Excadrill leapt up and transformed into its drill mode and burrowed under the ground, but Sorrel was not going to be stopped. He roared again and stomped once more, and the chain of fire pillars began to go off in another direction. It seemed to be following the direction Excadrill was tunneling, for the pillars suddenly made a circle and combined into one, and Excadrill erupted from the ground, crying out in pain.

"Yeah! Burn baby burn!" I shouted. Sorrel echoed my enthusiasm, as though taunting Excadrill. Clay growled and threw his hat down. He was going to take us seriously now, that was good.

"Rock Slide! Git out of there and use Rock Slide!" He shouted. Excadrill snarled and broke the fire with its claws, slamming into the ground. The shockwaves from the action caused the crystals to shake and rupture, sending shards raining down on Sorrel.

"Counter it with Blast Burn!" I commanded. Sorrel got down on all fours, his neck flames grew more and more intense, covering Sorrel in a swirling fire that got brighter before he snarled, standing up and whipping his arms out. The fire exploded in all directions, incinerating the Rock Slide that was making its way to Sorrel and hitting Excadrill. Excadrill cried out in pain while Sorrel snorted, shaking his head quickly.

"Excadrill, Bulldoze!"

"Sorrel, Flame Charge!" Clay and I commanded at the same time. Sorrel covered himself in fire once more and charged toward Excadrill, who was running as fast as it could towards Sorrel. The two pokemon collided and a massive explosion ensued, and we couldn't see the two pokemon for a long while.

When the smoke finally faded, I saw Excadrill and Sorrel standing in front of each other. Excadrill looked winded, though relaxed, and Sorrel's neck flames were gone, and for a few minutes they just stood there, staring at each other. Then Excadrill smirked at Sorrel, grunting approvingly at him, before falling backwards.

"Excadrill is unable to battle, Typhlosion wins! The victory goes to the challenger, Vixen!" Clyde announced as Sorrel turned around, panting. He looked at me with a fierce expression, and at first I was worried that he would turn on me. But then his eyes softened and he gave me his characteristic grin with his tongue sticking out, and he dropped down on all fours, charging towards me.

"Wait, wait, Sorrel no! Sorrel you're too big! SORREL!" I cried as the pokemon rammed into me. Sorrel picked me up, holding me against his chest, and spun around, yipping and howling in glee, while the other pokemon cheered, and I couldn't help but laugh as I hugged the goofy pokemon back. The other pokemon made their way over to us and started to congratulate Sorrel on his evolution and victory. Even the Zorua, who didn't seem to like me at all, was bouncing around Sorrel excitedly, wagging its tail. Sorrel put me down as Clay came over to us, having reclaimed his hat.

"That was a mighty fine battle, Vixen. I thought you were off yer rocker to challenge me with only one pokemon, but I was wrong. Might I ask what made ya want ter do that though?" He asked, looking at me closely. I grinned as I patted Sorrel's belly.

"Sorrel hasn't had a very good winning streak since the day I got him, and I used him more for practical things than battling. It was wearing on him so I wanted to let him know that I DO believe in his fighting ability. What better way to do that than by risking an entire gym battle on him?" I said, flashing a toothy grin at Sorrel. The Typhlosion returned it with teary eyes and a quivering lip, getting down on all fours and bumping my stomach with his head. I encircled it and hugged him tightly as Clay cleared his throat, attracting my attention.

"I see, that's as good a reason as any to do what you done did then. Let me thank ya fer givin me a good battle and showin me such a strong bond with your pokemon, I'm proud to present you with this here Quake Badge." He said, reaching into his pocket and pulling the pendent out. I took the badge and gently stroked it's uneven surface, noting the little green gem halfway through the lower part. I smiled and pinned it on the other side of my lanyard, looking at Clay warmly.

"Thank you. Clay, sir, may I ask you a favor?" I said, tilting my head. He leaned down and put his hands on his knees, lowering his head until I could whisper something into his ear. He nodded as me as he stood up, looking at Sorrel carefully before snorting, taking off his hat and presenting it to the Typhlosion, who looked at him in shock.

"Yer a good pokemon, Sorrel. Yer trainer asked me if I could give you somethin to remember this battle by, and I happen to agree. Take this hat and wear it proudly, son. Ye earned it." He said. Sorrel stood up and looked at the Gym Leader with wide eyes, grinning at him while nodding furiously at him, slowly taking the hat and putting it on his head. It was somewhat lopsided, and Sorrel kept trying to adjust it so it wouldn't fall off, and a throaty chirp got his attention. Excadrill had come to, and was wobbling towards us. It smiled at Sorrel as it held a claw out, and Sorrel gave it his hat. Looking at Sorrel carefully, it poked is claws through the folds connecting the brim to the hat and handed it back to Sorrel. He put it on his head and smiled as his ears poked through the holes, securing the hat firmly on his head without obstructing his vision. I giggled as I patted Sorrel's back.

"Yeehaw, Sorrel. You're a cowboy now." I told him. Sorrel chuckled as he gave me another hug, and we turned to Clay, bowing at him. He smirked as he pointed to a platform behind him.

"We'll take that elevator to git out of here. I'll walk ya ter the pokemon center to rest up, cuz there is something I think you should git yerself into. I think You and yer pokemon can handle it." He said as he walked to the platform. I tilted my head and recalled all of my pokemon except for Lola and Zorua, picking up the latter of the two, and we followed close behind Clay.

"What is it?" I asked as the elevator started going up. Clay just grinned at me and gave me a curt nod as excitement flashed in his eyes.

"The Pokemon World Tournament." He said simply as we headed above ground.

TBC

This was a fun chapter to write. I was actually planning on having Vixen ask Clay to give her another Quake Badge that she could pin on Sorrel, but then decided he'd be more adorable and truer to his goofiness if he got Clay's hat instead. I WAS gonna have Clay give him that belt thing that's on his hat, the gold thing with the gem in the center, so that Sorrel could wear it as a collar, but then I remembered that his neck bursts into fucking FIRE. So he gets a hat instead.

I've been neglecting poor Sorrel and he has been treated so badly in this fic. Poor guy. So, let me explain what went on in the game:

Clay actually kicked my ass 3 times. Normally he's the easiest of all the gym leaders for me to beat because I usually face him with a Serperior who knows Rock Smash. I couldn't do that this time though because of the Avatar Challenge. Remember it? Anyway, I'm Fire Nation in this run, so I can only use pokemon who have a Fire, Dragon, Electric, and/or Dark type. Sorrel was actually my best shot at winning this fight because he was the only one who had a chance against his fucking Excadrill, but it kept beating him with a Bulldoze/Rock Slide combo. I managed to get it after awhile though. And no, I didn't actually solo this battle with Sorrel, Lola and Zachary needed to clear his Sandslash and Krokorok first. After I got all that done and got the PWT tutorial done, I decided to go improve his moveset, and now Sorrel knows Swift, Flame Charge, Fire Pledge and Blast Burn.

So yeah, long ass chapter. The next few chapters are going to be dedicated to the Pokemon World Tournament. The next chapter will be Vixen and her team warming up for the tournament, and then all of the battles will have one chapter each so that I don't have to try and cram 3 important battles in one. Looking forward to this.

Also, I think I went too far and made Clay a stereotypical country guy, oops.


	32. Chapter 31: Old Friends Reunite

As I sat in the pokemon center, waiting for Nurse Joy to come back with my pokemon, I tried to groom Zorua. The little fox was NOTHING like my sweet, quiet Zachary, and refused to do anything I said. He nipped me a couple of times and barked defiantly at me, and I had all but had it when I heard a familiar voice barge into my personal space.

"What are you up to now, loser?" Cory said as he sat next to me. I sighed as I took out Zorua's pokeball, smacking him in the head with it so that he would actually go inside this time. When he was recalled, I put his pokeball away and groaned, covering my face with my hands while I leaned back.

"I got a new pokemon and he's being a butt. He reminds me of you except he's much more adorable, and I can look at him without dry-heaving." I said, earning a growl from Cory.

"Watch it, bitch." He said. Ah, good old Cory. A douche until the end. I chuckled as I leaned forward, taking my medication out of my bag. Popping a pill into my mouth, I grunted as Cory pushed my head forward and lifted my hair roughly.

"It looks like it's healing well." He said as I slapped his hand away, swallowing the pill with a sip of water. I sighed and leaned back again, closing my eyes while I waited for the meds to kick in. Cory and I sat in silence, listening to the hustle and bustle of the people in the lobby. After awhile, Nurse Joy called my name at the counter, and I got up to retrieve my pokemon. I loaded all of my pokeballs on my belt, taking Lola's and calling her out. With a nod to Cory, we left the pokemon center and made our way to the Pokemon World Tournament.

I gotta say, of all the places I've been to so far, Driftveil has got to be my favorite. It's big, but unlike the other big cities I've been in, Driftveil was MUCH better laid out and the buildings were clearly distinguishable. This was every directionally-challenged trainers dream come true. It was quite easy for me to locate the gate to the Pokemon World Tournament, right at the south side of town just like Clay said. I made my way inside the gate and started walking around, looking at the various booths.

"It's like a festival." I said to Lola. She nodded and made a curious sound as she sniffed the air.

'_Vixen, I smell something. Something familiar._' She said, stalking forward. I tilted my head at her while I watched her sniff.

"What is it?" I asked.

'_I don't know, but I know I have smelled this scent before. It's a male human._' She said, walking into the crowd. I carefully followed behind her while she continued to track.

"Is it Grimsley?" I asked. She shook her head as we finally made it through, and with one last big sniff, she snorted and stomped her foot.

'_No it's…_' She started as I looked forward. A big dorky smile planted itself on my face as I ran forward with Lola close behind.

"CHEREN!" I cried, plowing into the Gym Leader. Having caught him off guard, I knocked him off his feet and we were about to plunge into a fountain, though something long struck out at us and Cheren quickly grabbed it, pulling us back into standing.

"Geez Vixen, I'm glad to see you too but honestly, control yourself. I don't have another change of clothes on me and I will NOT walk around looking like a drowned Rattata." He said as he pushed me up. I grinned stupidly at him as Lola padded up to us, headbutting Cheren's leg. He chuckled and reached down to pet the little Deino while I encircled his chest, giving him a tight hug.

"It's good to see you again." I said. Cheren chuckled again and patted me on the back as Lola and I let him go, beaming at him.

"I see Grimsley wasted no expense in fitting you for your journey. Such nice clothes." He said, looking me over. I suddenly got shy and started digging my foot on the pavement.

"So you know about me and him?" I asked. Cheren smiled and nodded, putting his hand on my shoulder and squeezing.

"Everyone involved with the league knows about him taking you on as an apprentice. I was CC'd in an email from Alder that went to all of the gym leaders and the elite 4, and the current champion, telling us to be on the alert for a young trainer that Grimsley has taken under his wing and to help you no matter what. I must say, you are really something, catching the attention of the entire league before you even get your first badge." He said proudly. I beamed at him as I pulled off my lanyard, holding it out to him.

"And look! I've got 5 badges already! Sorrel just beat Clay single-handedly a little while ago!" I said. Cheren took the lanyard and inspected my badges carefully, smiling and nodding. He reached over and slipped my lanyard back over my head, my badges clacking together.

"Impressive, and oh really? Sorrel is that awkward little Quilava that I one-shotted with Patrat right?" He asked. I snickered as I took Sorrel's pokeball out, throwing it.

"Show him how awkward you are, Sorrel!" I said as he burst out of the pokeball. Sorrel landed just behind Cheren and stood tall, smiling with his tongue out while he proudly displayed his new hat. The gym leader stepped back in shock for a moment, staring at Sorrel with wide eyes before he relaxed and allowed a smile creep onto his face.

"Hello again Sorrel. That's a really cool hat. Did you steal that from Clay?" He asked. Sorrel snorted and crossed his arms, staring at Cheren pointedly.

"No, Clay gave that to him so that he'd have something to remember his biggest accomplishment by." I said. Sorrel barked at me and Lola snickered.

'_Second biggest, becoming your pokemon was his biggest accomplishment in his eyes._' Lola corrected. I beamed and leaned into Sorrel, hugging the badger-like pokemon tightly before I turned to Cheren.

"So are you entering the Pokemon World Tournament?" Cheren asked. I smiled as I looked up into Sorrel's eyes, nodding.

"Yep. He said it's something I should try. What about you?" I asked. Cheren sighed as he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, I got roped into this too. Clay demanded I come out to give this a try since I'm the only Gym Leader nearby without any solid plans. He invited Roxie too, but she's having a hard time getting out since her dad is the only one who can take her up here right now, since the ferries are closed, and her dad is being a pain and trying to get into Pokestar Studios." He said. I frowned at that as I looked out at the pier.

"The ferries are closed?" I asked. Cheren nodded solemnly and sighed.

"Yeah, the pokemon league has decided that until they can find the missing passengers of the S.S. Thundurus and the pokemon, all ferry services are shut down for the safety of all trainers." He told me.

"But what about all the people who need to get off our island to get to the mainland? What about the trainers who need to challenge Clay and Burgh?" I asked, concerned. Cheren smirked at me as he pointed up in the sky.

"The trainers and wild pokemon have stepped up for that. A temporary service has been set up where volunteers consisting of pokemon, both trained and wild alike, will shuttle people around until the waters are clear. In fact, my Unfezant is apart of this effort, and it's all being coordinated by my old friend, Carina." He said. I looked up and indeed saw a lot of pokemon swarming the skies, and at the front of the flock, I heard Ra ra roar, releasing a blue stream of fire as though greeting everyone below. I smiled warmly at that and looked at Cheren, breathing quickly.

"I'd love to get in on that and help, and I think I know just the thing." I said, pulling my arm in front of me and pressing the call feature on my X-Transceiver's touchscreen. The phone started ringing, and after awhile I heard it pick up.

"Hello?!" I heard Carina yell over the phone.

"Carina! Do you have a minute!?" I yelled, shocking Cheren who stared at me with his jaw dropped.

"Uh, not really, is it important?!" Carina asked.

"Yeah, it's about this shuttle thing Cheren said you organized! I wanna help and I think I know a couple of pokemon who could volunteer! I'm in the Pokemon World Tournament grounds!" I said. I heard a lot of wind and shouting over the phone.

"Okay then! I can always use more volunteers! Be right down!" She replied. Ra ra broke off from the flock and fired another stream of blue fire in the direction they were going, then diving down towards us. She roared and gathered everyone's attention, and I waved up at her.

"Incoming! Everyone make room or you'll get sat on!" Carina yelled as Ra ra descended. Everyone quickly moved out of the way and made room for Ra ra to land, and Carina and Sneer leapt off of her neck, seeking us out and making their way over to us.

"Hi Chi-chi! Hi Vixy!" Carina chirped. I blinked for a moment while Cheren did a double take, looking at us back and forth.

"How do you two know each other?" Cheren asked.

"I could ask YOU the same thing!" I said. Carina giggled as she put a hand on our shoulders, smiling warmly at us.

"Cheren, Bianca and I grew up together in Nuvema town. They are the ones who got my Gym Leader army together when I went to go smack N around. As for how I know Vixen, Cheren, I met her when I went to visit Roxie in Virbank. I watched her Quilava and Deino beat the crap out of her pokemon. It was epic." She said while Sneer chuckled. I grinned sheepishly as I rubbed the back of my head while Carina turned her attention to my pokemon.

"Hey, speaking of that Quilava, it looks like he got big. And he stole Clay's hat, haha. I hope Mr. Miner 49er didn't get angry." She said, reaching up to pet Sorrel. I laughed while Sorrel bent down to let Carina pet him.

"He wasn't too happy about me challenging him with JUST Sorrel, but he got over it and gave the hat to him after we beat the tar out of him. Right Sorrel?" I asked. Sorrel barked as he puffed his chest, and Carina giggled while she crossed her arms.

"You soloed a ground-type gym with a fire pokemon? Shauntal and I must have really screwed something up in your head. I know Excadrill is a steel type, but still, it is freaking MEAN." She said while Cheren narrowed his eyes at me. I laughed sheepishly while I carefully scratched the back of my head.

"Yeah well, Sorrel really needed the confidence boost that gym battle gave him. And yeah, we found that out quickly. In fact, he evolved after he got a good beating from Excadrill, and Zachary." I said, still scratching my head. Carina reached up and grabbed my hand, pulling it away.

"No scratching your stitches, and Zachary? What?" She asked. I looked down to see Lola talking to Sneer and Ra ra and smiled.

"Sneer will tell you later, all of my pokemon were watching so I'm guessing that's what Lola is talking to them about right now." I told her. Carina nodded in understanding and closed her eyes.

"Fair enough, now then-"

"Stitches? You've got stitches on your head? What happened?!" Cheren said, interrupting Carina. I sighed and turned around, pulling my hair up to show Cheren my stitches.

"I got jumped on my way back to Nimbasa from Route 5, and someone decided to hit me with a pipe. My Zoroark saved me and Elesa and then after we got back to the gym Elesa called Carina and Grimsley. Grimsley talked to me and kept me calm while Carina and Elesa stitched my head back together. Then I beat Elesa and won her badge, and went on my way." I told him. Cheren looked at me like he wanted to strangle me, but Carina cleared her throat and intervened on my behalf.

"Don't say a word Mr. I'm-getting-to-Icirrus-crushed-leg-or-not." She said. I blinked as Cheren coughed, turning away while his face turned red.

"Huh?" I asked. Carina smiled at me as she shifted.

"Remember when I told you about how I went through Twist Mountain in Winter mounted on Pendra the entire time? Well, Cheren was with me when it happened. We got caught in an avalanche and a boulder landed on us and shattered our legs. Pendra had to carry us both out and into Icirrus." She explained. Cheren sighed as he nodded, confirming her story.

"I'm just glad that Nurse Joy knew how to treat HUMAN wounds as well as pokemon." He said. Carina giggled and patted his shoulder.

"And that her Audino team were so good with Heal Pulse. Anyway, so Vixen, you said you knew some pokemon who could volunteer?" She said, tilting her head at me. I nodded vigorously and cleared my throat.

"Yep. See, after Ra ra left me on Route 4, I totally forgot where I was supposed to go, and I wandered around in the ruins until I found a Mandibuzz and a Braviary sparring with each other. I asked them if they could help me find my way out, and they were very nice about it. All I had to do was beat them in a double battle and after that Mandibuzz personally flew me to the gate. They're lonely and bored, and I'm sure they'd love to help out. They were cool." I said, thinking back fondly. Carina smiled at me as she snapped her fingers at Ra ra, who stared at me intently.

'_May I poke around your head for the location? They sound perfect for this endeavor._' Ra ra said. I smiled and nodded, feeling a powerful force invade my mind. I did my best to resist the urge to fight against it so that Ra ra could find what she wanted, and after awhile I felt the force leave, and she chirped at Carina.

"Thanks so much, I'll take all the help I can get. We're gonna head out and look for those two right now. Enjoy the Tournament guys, I wish I could join but I'm just so busy." She said with a sigh. Sneer nuzzled her neck as she picked her up, carrying her over to a waiting Ra ra and lifting her onto the dragon's neck. Gripping her fur tightly, Carina waved at us as Ra ra's tail revved. With her melodious roar, Ra ra leapt into the air, her tail glowing bright as she headed for the desert of Route 4. We all waved at them and shouted our goodbyes. Looking at Cheren, I smiled as he led me, Lola and Sorrel inside the building to explain the tournament.

It wasn't supposed to start for another couple of hours, so Cheren suggested I decide on the 3 pokemon I should use and train with them. After a long internal debate with myself, I selected my 3 pokemon and summoned them to my side. I smiled at them as I brought my hands together.

"Let's get to work guys." I said as they gave a rallying cry.

TBC

And there's the prep chapter. Next chapter is Round 1. I'm going to write this out based on the tutorial-thingy when you enter the tournament, so if you have played BW2, then it should be obvious who Vixen will fight in the 3 rounds. If you haven't, then it'll add to the fun. See you guys in Round 1!


	33. Chapter 32: Driftveil Tournament Round 1

After a big pep talk and a lot of planning, I felt I was ready to begin. Which was good, considering there was 15 minutes before the tournament would begin. I was in the Blue Division, and stood in the waiting room along with other Blue Division contestants. I sat in my little corner, cuddling Lola, while the others gathered around in the middle, occasionally casting nasty looks at me and cackling at me. I ignored them as I petted Lola, who was growling at them.

'_The first one who comes over here will lose a leg._' She told me as she bared her teeth at them. The trainers feigned fear at her gestured and I sighed, hugging her.

"Lola, be nice. Let's just concentrate on the battle ahead." I told her. She huffed and rested her head on the bench, stretching out across my lap but still aware of her surroundings.

'_I AM being nice. I'm still here and not over there trying to rip them to shreds, aren't I?_' She said, making me snort. I closed my eyes and kept petting her fluff, ignoring the fact that one of the trainers was coming over to where Lola and I were. They stood in front of me, and Lola tensed up, ready to strike out in case she had to defend me.

"Be careful, she's on edge and might lash out at you." I told the girl. She snickered as she set her hands on her hips while her Axew clung to her shoulder, sharing its trainer's animosity as they looked at me in contempt.

"That's what pokeballs are for. Honestly, what the hell is that anyway? A Raticate having a bad hair day?" She asked, adding a haughty laugh. The group behind her laughed with her, and I took a deep breath, holding Lola tightly while she continued to growl.

"Lola, stay." I commanded. She huffed again as she turned her head.

'_I don't care what she says about me, but she better stay away from you or there will be trouble._' She told me, speaking to the Axew at the same time. She must have given it her warning as well, for Axew's eyes widened and it whimpered, hiding behind its trainer. The girl glared at me as she pulled her Axew off her shoulder, hugging it and bouncing it as if it were a baby.

"You awful brute! You upset my darling little Augustus. Someone should put a leash on you! Or a Muzzle! Have you ever considered putting that vicious little mongrel down? Surely you'd prefer a cuter pokemon like an Axew instead." She said. My eye twitched as I adjusted myself in my seat, making her jump as though she expected me to chase after her.

"I don't pick my pokemon based on their appearance alone. My pokemon are loyal, loving, and everyone on my team is like family to me. Wanting a pokemon just because it is what some people would call 'cute' is shallow. I wonder, how many badges do you have?" I asked. The girl laughed haughtily again as she took out a badge case, opening it to show me a really old, three-colored badge.

"My darlings won this for me from the Striaton Gym. Tell me, sweetheart, how many badges do YOU have?" She asked, sneering at me. I rolled my eyes as I lifted my lanyard, my badges clacking. The girl's jaw dropped at them as she and Axew looked at them in disbelief.

"And I won all of mine RECENTLY. In fact, I just got my fifth badge a few hours ago. Your badge looks like it is what, 2 years old? Yeah, I'm way out of your league Madam Creampuff." I said, letting my lanyard rest.

"What did you call me?!" She said as she and her Axew growled. Lola brought her head up and she snarled loudly, causing Axew to retreat into its pokeball. Axew's trainer gasped as she leapt back several feet, but Lola just snorted and laid her head back down while I smirked.

"Cute only gets you so far in life. Now stay away from us, we're not doing anything to you, we just want to wait our turn in peace." I said loudly, making sure everyone in the group heard me. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, leaning over and crossing my arms over Lola.

'_Well done._' Lola said, warbling.

'_What did you do?_' I asked her. She smirked as she turned her head, rubbing her face on mine.

'_I used a small version of Roar. Just enough to make Axew go away and show its trainer that I'm not to be messed with._' She replied. I smirked and relaxed on her, ignoring the group as they resumed their chatter. I stayed quiet and relaxed when the door opened and an official stepped in.

"Vixen, you are on Field 1, please take your place." She said. I sucked in my breath and moved Lola off my lap, standing up.

"Let's do it Lola." I told her. Lola chuffed in response as we made our way out the door, moving to the entrance to the stage. I stood behind the curtain and waited as the announcer stirred up the crowd, and I flexed my fingers. I was nervous, more nervous than I ever was in my entire life. Lola sidled up beside me and rubbed her head on my hand.

'_Relax, we fight in front of others all the time. The only difference is that this crowd is human. This will be exactly like the gym battle against Elesa. Just concentrate on the battle, and the rest won't matter._' She assured me. I smiled and leaned down to hug her as the door started to come down.

"Thanks Lola, I'll be okay." I said as I recalled her. I stepped into the shadows as the announcer began to speak.

"_Introducing, from Aspertia City, Vixen!_" The announcer said as a spotlight shined on me. I started walking along the path as lights turned on with every step I took, climbing up the stairs and taking my place on my side of the field.

"_And now her opponent, also from Aspertia City, Cory!_" The announcer said as Cory emerged from the red room. He walked across the path, lights lighting with every one of his steps just as they had with mine, and he stepped up onto the field, glaring at me. I grinned at him, realizing that he'd never make his usual taunts and jabs at me with so many people around, and we both grabbed our pokeballs. Our pictures flashed on the screen before it panned out to the field, and our grips on our pokeballs tightened. The official referee swooped in, astride a Magnezone, and floated between us.

"Trainers, call out your pokemon!" He cried. Cory and I threw our pokeballs forward with all our might.

"Sarah, let's go!"

"Sic 'em, Thorn!" We both cried. Sarah emerged from her pokeball and slammed onto the field at the same time as her opponent, a Scolipede. Scolipede snorted and dug its foot on the ground, ready to charge, while Sarah stayed calm and collected. I took a deep breath and listened as Lola poked into my mind.

'_Just trust us to know what to do, even when you don't. Believe in us like we believe in you._' Lola told me. I smirked and braced myself as the ref hovered away.

"Battle begin!" He cried as Cory gritted his teeth.

"Show them what you're made of with Megahorn!" He cried. Thorn roared as it charged towards Sarah, and I clenched my fist.

"Protect!" I commanded. Sarah's shell turned swirling shades of green as Thorn rammed into her, jabbing her with its horns several times with no results.

"That's right Cory, just try to force your way in. That's how you win in life." I said with a smirk while the people close to me laughed. Cory snorted as he glared at me.

"Shut up you coward. You can't hide behind Protect forever! Keep up Megahorn and add Poison Tail to it!" He cried. I smirked as Thorn started to thrash about, smacking Sarah with its horns and its tail repeatedly.

"Look Sarah, it wants to dance with you. Go ahead and oblige Thorn with Headbutt!" I commanded. Sarah snorted as her shell returned to its normal color and she charged at Thorn, slamming her shell into it. The two pokemon constantly exchanged blows, with neither side giving an inch, and I noticed an odd glow of her shell. I quickly whipped out my X-Transceiver and looked at the notes I took on Shelgon, smirking as I realized what attack she was using.

"Alright Sarah, let's go into a full force Zen Headbutt!" I commanded.

"WHAT!?" Cory yelled as Sarah started to glow a light blue. She ran forward and slammed into Thorn, throwing it back. It flinched and closed its eyes as she charged again, knocking it back down. It looked like victory was at hand, until I saw the purple streaks that crackled along her body, much to Cory's glee.

"Ha! Never attack a Scolipede directly! Thorn's Poison Point is pretty potent, isn't it itty bitty Vixy? Now watch how a REAL trainer does it! Go boy! Use Venoshock!" He commanded. Thorn snarled as a purple electricity gathered around his horns. He threw his head forward, sending purple lightning at Sarah. The Shelgon cried out in pain as she felt to the attack, rolling over on the field and coming to a rest at my feet. I peered inside her shell as the referee hovered close to make an assessment.

"She's done, ref." I admitted, taking out my pokeball.

"Shelgon is unable to battle, Scolipede wins!" He cried as he hovered away. I sighed as I rubbed her shell gently.

"Don't worry, Sarah. You'll get'em next time." I told her as the ball pulled her inside. I heard Cory whoop in glee as he praised his Scolipede, who preened himself under his trainer's gushing. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed my next pokeball.

"You haven't won yet Cory, and unlike last time, I'm not going to go easy on you." I told him. He grinned at me as he motioned for me to go on.

"Bring it, bitch!" He replied. I rolled my eyes again, wondering for a moment how I have not gone dizzy with how much I've been rolling my eyes, and threw my pokeball.

"You heard him Sorrel, let's bring it!" I yelled as my Typhlosion burst out of his pokeball. When his hind legs hit the ground, he glared at Thorn in front of him.

"Hey Sorrel, that guy took down Sarah in a fit of rage when she tried to get the upper hand. You gonna take that?" I asked. Sorrel snarled as his neck burst into flames.

"Typhlosion!" He cried, much to my enjoyment.

"Didn't think so, put the kibosh on Scolipede with Fire Pledge!" I commanded. Sorrel tipped his hat back as his eyes glowed, and with a stomp of his foot a pillar of fire erupted in front of him. Another burst up in front of that one, and another, and pretty soon it was a chain of fire pillars making its way to Thorn.

"Dodge it with Agility!" Cory commanded. Thorn began to run at an incredible speed, but that was nothing for my Typhlosion. Sorrel simply snorted as he stomped his foot again, making the pillars chase Thorn until he had nowhere left to run. They circled around him and spun as they joined together, and Thorn screamed in pain. When the fire faded, Thorn fell down, smoking and his eyes spinning. He was done.

"Scolipede is unable to battle. Typhlosion wins!" The ref called as Sorrel tipped his hat at the fallen pokemon. Cory gritted his teeth as he muttered an apology to his pokemon, recalling Thorn into his pokeball before grabbing another one.

"You got lucky with a type advantage, but let's see how you do on an even playing field! Show them what I mean Yapper!" He cried as he threw the pokeball. Rather than a small, cuddly Growlithe, a giant, tiger-striped dog emerged from the pokeball, looking angrily at Sorrel before it turned its gaze on me, turning into a happy puppy as it sat and wagged its tail. I pulled out my pokedex to quickly scan it.

"_Arcanine, the Legendary Pokemon, and the evolved form of Growlithe. Arcanine are powerful and regal pokemon, captivating many people with its beauty and incredible speed. They are also incredibly loyal, and are usually used in law enforcement._" It said. I grinned and waved at the Arcanine happily.

"Hi Yapper! It's great to see you! And you've gotten so big! I hope you're strong too, or you'll have a tough time against my Typhlosion. Don't expect me to go easy on you just because you were such a big help in Castelia okay?" I told him. Yapper barked in agreement as his trainer groaned, and he suddenly turned vicious again, growling at Sorrel. Sorrel smirked as he crossed his arms in a 'T', walking over to me and removing his hat. He handed the hat to me with a wink as he returned to the field, dropping on all fours and igniting his neck. I giggled as I turned my bag, opening it and sticking Sorrel's hat inside where it would be safe for the time being, and then we were back in the game.

"If you two are done cuddling, then use Flamethrower, Yapper!" Cory commanded, thoroughly annoyed. Yapper howled while a large stream of fire emerged from his mouth, making its way to Sorrel.

"Flame Charge!" I called. Sorrel stomped his feet and engulfed himself in fire and ran right into the Flamethrower, plowing through it until he hit Yapper dead on. The fire hound coughed as Sorrel rammed his chest, and as much as I felt bad for him, I couldn't let him recover.

"Now use Swift!" I said, and Sorrel threw his head back, thrusting it forward again and spitting out multiple stars that hit Yapper on the head. This made Cory even madder, and he stomped his foot angrily.

"Retaliate Yapper!" He called. Yapper snarled as he charged forward, batting Sorrel away with one of his massive paws. Sorrel was thrown backwards, but he dug his claws into the ground, not willing to give up.

"Sorrel, use Fire Pledge!" I commanded. Sorrel reared up and howled as he stomped his foot, sending a row of fiery pillars after Yapper.

"Oh no you don't, you aren't getting me with that again! Extremespeed!" Cory countered. Yapper disappeared in a flash, and as fast as Sorrel was he could not match Yapper's speed, though he tried to valiantly as he made Fire Pledge chase the dog. Yapper kept running until he veered right into Sorrel, biting his neck and throwing him away, ceasing the Fire Pledge.

"Go into Flame Charge!" I yelled. Sorrel used the momentum from Yapper's throw and gathered speed, covering himself in fire as he charged towards Yapper, who growled at him.

"Take Down!" Cory said. Yapper began to run hard at Sorrel, and the two pokemon collided, sending each other soaring backwards.

"Flamethrower!"

"Blast Burn!" Cory and I cried in sync. Sorrel's fire spun rapidly as he threw his arms out, sending a massive explosion towards Yapper as he released a big stream of fire, and once again the two attacks collided, causing a bigger explosion that produced a giant cloud of smoke. This was good, because Sorrel needed a chance to rest from using Blast Burn anyway, and he instinctively ran in the smoke cover as Yapper charged out, looking for his opponent.

"Get out of there! Yapper, get him out of there with Extremespeed!" Cory yelled. Yapper shot off like a bullet into the smoke, and I could hear Sorrel cry out as the attack connected.

"Sorrel! Use Flame Charge!" I told him, my vision still obscured by smoke. For awhile, no one could see anything, but we could hear the cries of the pokemon as their attacks connected over and over, slowing down before stopping altogether.

"Sorrel?" I called, failing to get a response.

"Yapper, where are you buddy?" Cory called as well, though he too went unanswered. When the smoke faded, we saw both pokemon tangled up in each other, out cold. The referee floated down on his Magnezone to survey the pokemon before he raised his flags.

"Arcanine and Typhlosion are unable to battle, this match is a draw!" He said. Cory and I groaned as we recalled our pokemon, and I cooed sweet nothings at Sorrel's pokeball when it had pulled him inside, thanking him for doing a great job. Cory and I locked eyes as we grabbed our last pokeballs. We both knew who our last pokemon were, it was almost fate. Cory gave me a daring smile as he threw his pokeball, Wotter appearing in front of him while I threw mine. Lola landed in front of me, stomping defiantly at her opponents.

"Let's do this for real, Vixen. That first match didn't count. Wotter, I'm counting on you!" He called as the Dewott barked in confirmation, pulling out his scalchops and waving them like swords.

"Fine by me, Cory. Lola, give it everything you've got!" I replied. Lola snorted as she roared at Wotter.

'_You bet! Let me at him, Vixen! _' Lola said in my mind. I grinned as I clenched my fist.

"You have the first move, just like back then." I told Cory. He grinned at me in a way that told me it was a really bad idea.

"Use Water Pulse!" He commanded. Crap. If it weren't for Water Pulse's side effect I would have criticized him for that, but it was actually a really good opening move.

"Counter with Dragon Pulse! Don't let it hit you!" I told Lola. She sucked in her breath and let it out as the wispy purple attack made contact with Wotter's water sphere, destroying it.

"Fury Cutter back to back!" Cory called. Wotter ran forward with his scalchops and slashed at Lola over and over. Damn, whoever this guy was, he wasn't Cory. Cory would NEVER think of such a strategy. Or maybe he trained Wotter solely for this, defeating Lola. Regardless, I wasn't going to let that happen without a real fight.

"Headbutt!" I commanded. Lola ran forward and slammed her horn into Wotter's stomach, making the Dewott gag slightly as he flew backwards.

"Water Pledge!" He commanded. Wait a second, WATER Pledge? There is a water type version of Sorrel's move? It seemed that was the case as Wotter stomped his foot, a pillar of water dropping down from the air. It was joined by 3 others, and they twisted and contorted as they chased Lola until she became trapped in one. Joined by the other three, the pillar of water pulsated violently as Lola struggled to get out.

'_Vixen help! What do I do I can't breathe! _' Lola cried in my head. I clasped it tightly as I thought of a way to get her out, and then I remembered something Colress had told me.

'_Hold your breath Lola! Start a Dragon Pulse, but don't let it out. Mold it together and make a ball of energy like Colress told us._' I told her. Lola's throat started to glow as she stopped struggling, confusing the audience. Without warning, she opened her mouth as a teal ball of light came rushing out, exploding and destroying the Water Pledge. Lola fell to the ground and coughed, and I could feel her relief while Wotter looked on proudly.

"What the?"

"Dragon Pulse again!" I cried, interrupting Cory's thought. Lola roared as she unleashed her purply wispy breath, which hit Wotter dead on.

"Now follow it with Headbutt!" I added as she ran to him.

"Counter it with Razor Shell!" Cory sputtered, snapping out of his trance. Lola and Wotter ran towards each other and crossed swords, so to speak. Her horn against both of his scalchops. The two pokemon growled as Lola pushed Wotter away.

"Finish him with Crunch!" I commanded. Lola snorted as she clamped tightly onto Wotter's tail, throwing him up and spinning him around before slamming him onto the field. He had improved, but Wotter didn't quite have the endurance he needed to battle with a stubborn dragon like Lola. I knew even before the ref had floated in that the pokemon was done, and was not surprised when his Magnezone made a loud beep.

"Dewott is unable to battle, Deino wins! The victory goes to Vixen!" He yelled as my picture dominated the screen beside the field. Lola grinned as she ran across the field, leaping up and into my arms while I gave her a tight hug.

"You did it Lola!" I told her. She smiled and warbled at me as she rested her head on my shoulder.

'_WE did it._' She corrected. I smiled as I set her down, looking across the field at Cory as he recalled his pokemon. He started to make his way off the stage, but turned around and looked at me sternly, reaching into his bag and flashing the tail of his half of the Shinx Lanturn. I smiled at him as I pulled my bag around, reaching in and showing him the tail of my half. With a curt nod, he left the stage, having never said a word. Not that he needed to. I could tell by the way he presented his Shinx' tail that he was happy for me, but it wasn't the end. The announcer proclaimed my victory as Lola and I made our way down from the field, walking along the hallway and going back into the waiting room.

We ignored the many stares we got as I recalled Lola, putting hers, Sorrel's and Sarah's pokeballs in the healing port next to the exit. After a few minutes, the machine pinged its completion, and I pulled my pokeballs from the tray, letting Lola out and walking back to my dark little corner. She joined me and sat on the bench, nuzzling my shoulder in pride while we basked in the glory of our first win. It would be a little while before the rest of the matches were done, but I didn't mind the wait. After all, my pokemon might be feeling better after that tough battle with Cory, but I still needed to collect my thoughts and catch my breath on that.

TBC

I'm so sorry for every instance of the words "Wotter water" and similar setups, there was honestly no way around it without sounding totally geeky. Forgive me and help yourself to one of my fail cookies, I just made'em |D

Okay so someone pointed out that Vixen seems to be older than she really is, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who caught that. As I told Shinx2326 I thought about making her older, but since I already stated that she is 10 in chapter 1, it's a bit late. She kinda took on a personality that is more like my own stubbornness than the intended scardy-cat I had in mind for her, so I'm going to attribute her defiance and cleverness to her Dark-Type Affinity. Don't worry, I'll still remind you guys of her youth every now and again by way of her innocence. Her constant need to cuddle something should help with that lol.

Also, I actually knew kids who were a lot younger than Vixen is that were more clever than the adults I knew, and me to be honest. Yeah, I fail XD.

And that is the end of Round 1! Round 2 will be out soon, are you as excited as I am for it?


	34. Chapter 33: Driftveil Tournament Round 2

Lola and I waited in our small corner while the rest of the matches played out, and I was considering taking a nap when another trainer broke from the group that took up the center of the room and made his way over to us. I sighed and pretended to not acknowledge him, hoping he was just looking for a place to sit. I was half right since he sat down on the bench, but he sat so freaking close to me our thighs touched. I picked up Lola and moved over, but he moved too, making the group laugh. I could feel my eye twitch as I moved again, and my neighbor moved with me. He leaned in and draped his arm over my shoulders, making Lola growl.

"Hey baby, how you doin?" He asked in a mock-suave tone. Lola growled louder and started to move, but I put my hand on her back.

'_Don't, I've got this._' I told her mentally. I grabbed a pokeball from my belt and opened it up as I rushed away from the guy, slamming my shoulder into the corner while Sorrel appeared. The guy attempted to follow me on the bench, but Sorrel quickly intercepted and sat down between us, shooting a glare at the guy that clearly told him to back off.

"If you are done butt-humping the bench, then leave us alone please, we're not interested." I said as I reached into my bag, pulling out Sorrel's hat and holding it out to him. The Typhlosion grinned as he reached out to take it, but the guy snatched it out of my hand, turning it over and over much to Sorrel's annoyance.

"Hey, this is a really nice hat. Thanks, I've been looking for one of these." He said as he put it on. Sorrel growled dangerously as he started to get up, but I put my hand on his stomach.

"Sorrel, no, save it for the tournament. Lola, you can go now." I said. Lola snorted as she hopped off my lap, trotting over to the trainer who looked down at her with a glint of humor in his eyes.

'_It's about time._' She said as she stopped in front of him. She snarled and threw herself forward, headbutting the guy in the stomach. He coughed as his head was thrown forward, and Sorrel quickly snapped a paw out, snagging the hat and pulling it to him. He put his hat on and adjusted it, giving a proud snort while Lola huffed at the trainer, turning around and padding back to me. The trainer and his group looked at me incredulously as I glowered at them, crossing my arms.

"For the last time, back. Off. We just want to be left alone and wait our turn, we don't want any trouble." I said as Sorrel and Lola nodded in agreement. The guy growled and pulled out a pokeball, standing up over me.

"You don't want any trouble? Well you've GOT trouble! I'm gonna-"

"Gonna what?" Said a familiar voice, interrupting the trainer in front of me. A Flamethrower suddenly appeared and hit the floor between us, making the trainer back away as Cory and Yapper appeared in the door. Cory crossed his arms and strutted over to where my pokemon and I were, Yapper following him loyally. He glared at the group as Yapper growled, crouching into a position to attack. The other trainer glared back and held his pokeball close.

"Who the hell are you? This isn't any of your business." He said as threateningly as he could.

"It doesn't matter who I am, no one picks on itty bitty Vixy but me. You guys want a turn at her, I DARE you to get past my Arcanine and her Typhlosion to try. She and I both have 5 badges now, so if you wanna go let's go." He said, pulling out his badge case and opening it for them to see. The group crept further away from us while the bullying trainer waved his hands at us dismissively.

"You're not worth it, losers." He said, walking away. Cory snorted as he took a seat next to Sorrel while Yapper laid down in front of us, wagging his tail as he looked up at me with adoring eyes.

"I wonder how many badges HE has." I said as I reached down to pet Yapper, making Cory snort.

"I'll be shocked if he has more than one. This tournament is crawling with noobs, it's disgusting." He said in a disgusted tone. I giggled while I leaned into Sorrel, who put a paw in my head while Lola and Yapper talked.

"I wouldn't speak too badly about newbie trainers, we started not that long ago ourselves. So what are you doing here? I thought you would have left for the next gym?" I said, looking at him. He pulled out his badge case again and threw it over to me. I caught it and opened it up, seeing 5 badges just as he claimed. He had the Toxic Badge, the Insect Badge, the Bolt Badge, and two badges I didn't recognize.

"Where are these two from?" I said, fingering them.

"The egg-looking one came from Floccesy. There's a ranch past Alder's place that also serves as a gym, but the gym leader is the couple's kid, and he usually isn't home to take challenges so most trainers don't get that badge and prefer to relax in Floccesy town. It was a grass type gym so I caught Thorn to help me. The other one, the pink one that's oddly shaped and has the dark pink lines, that came from a psychic gym in a small town on Route 4. You actually threw me in the fountain in front of the gym when you rescued me." He explained. I face palmed as I realized that I had obviously skipped a couple of gyms, but got over it quickly. I was proud of the badges I DID have, and every gym has to accommodate the difficulty for every badge I DO have anyway, and I was certain I wasn't strong enough to have 7 badges by now anyway. I brushed my fingers one last time over Cory's badges before I closed the case, handing it back to him.

"Gonna grab Driftveil badge after the tournament?" I asked. Cory nodded as he put his badge case away.

"Clay isn't going to leave the Pokemon World Tournament though, so I figured I'd stick around and see how far you were going to get and make sure you won this thing. I don't want to lose to a midget that ends up losing right after." He said, tilting his nose up. I rolled my eyes as I hugged Lola tightly, staying quiet as another official entered the room.

"Vixen, you're wanted on Field 3. You're still Blue." He said with a smile. I nodded and stood up, recalling Lola and Sorrel as Cory reached out a hand and snagged my wrist.

"Get the remote, I'm gonna watch." He commanded. I nodded and made my way to the group of trainers, who were absorbed in some stupid show about an overrated celebrity. I rolled my eyes as I snuck up on the girl who had the remote, and it was quite easy for me to snatch it out of her hands.

"Hey! That's mine! We're watching this so don't you dare change the channel!" She commanded. I grinned evilly as I backed up.

"Oh don't you worry, I won't. Him, on the other hand? I'm not so sure." I said, tossing the remote at Cory. He quickly caught it and gave me a curt nod, excusing me to leave while he changed the channel.

"You can watch your stupid Justin Bidoof some other time. If you were REAL trainers, you'd want to watch what your OPPONENTS were doing in their battles, so sit down, shut up, and watch." I heard Cory yell above the protests. I walked down the hall and approached the entrances to the fields, and I walked through the door leading to the third field. I stayed behind the curtain and waited for my turn while the crowd got excited, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"_And now, entering the stage is Vixen! A young trainer from Aspertia who took everyone completely by surprise with her victory in the first round!_" The announcer said as I walked towards the field. I heard some people chanting my name while I took my place on the field.

"_And her opponent, whose ascent to the second round is no surprise, the Gym Leader of Aspertia, Cheren!_" He said as Cheren appeared on the other side, striding up to the field. He looked at me proudly as he grabbed a pokeball and held it in front of him. I returned the gesture and waited for the referee to give us the okay.

"Trainers, call out your pokemon!" The ref said on his Magnezone. Cheren and I threw our pokeballs, Sarah and a Stoutland facing each other with quiet respect on the field.

"Show me how far you've come since you fought me in Aspertia." Cheren said as Stoutland barked. I smirked while Sarah dug her foot on the field.

"You've got it, Cheren!" I replied as the ref floated away.

"Battle, begin!" He cried.

"Stoutland, Tackle!"

"Zen Headbutt!" Cheren and I cried out in sync. Sarah and Stoutland rushed at each other. Their bodies collided over and over, and they grunted from the effort. Cheren adjusted his tie as he stared at the battle calculatedly.

"Back off and use Work Up." He called. Stoutland gave Sarah a mighty shove, throwing her away as it retreated to Cheren's side, quivering as it worked itself into a frenzy, looking positively feral. Sarah shook herself off and lumbered in front of me, ready for my command.

"Dragonbreath!" I called. A stream of pink fire emerged from the front opening of Sarah's shell and engulfed Stoutland. When she ran out of breath, Stoutland emerged from the attack gritting its teeth. Streaks of yellow crackled along its body, and I smirked while Sarah shook herself. Cheren smirked back and put a hand on his hip.

"I see, so you want a tank battle then? Very well. Stoutland, let's give her a tank battle. Use Tackle." He commanded. Stoutland barked and charged as fast as it could towards Sarah.

"Counter with Zen Headbutt!" I called. Sarah lumbered over to Stoutland, her shell glowing light blue, and they collided, smacking each other over and over again. It was quite funny actually. They were just knocking their heads together over and over. But it had to end sometime.

"Okay Sarah, stop playing around and finish it." I scolded. Sarah made a strangled noise that I could only guess was a snicker as she stopped attacking, letting Stoutland stick its head inside her shell. Stoutland yelped and tried to pull its head out, but it only managed to pull MOST of its face out. Part of its long mustache was still stuck in the opening of Sarah's shell, so I could only guess that she did indeed have SOME kind of mouth she was using to use the Bite attack. Now if only I could get her to eat, and bother to the internet for telling me I can't. Sarah snarled as she threw Stoutland into the air, leaping after it and slamming her still-glowing shell into it. Stoutland went flying into the ground, and it groaned as it lay on its back, dizzy and twitching. Sarah landed on the ground in front of me with a firm thud and snorted in pride when the ref and his Magnezone floated down.

"Stoutland is unable to battle, Shelgon wins!" He declared. Cheren recalled his pokemon and murmured words of comfort to it, pulling out another pokeball.

"Well done Vixen, it's not often trainers can win a tank fight against my Stoutlands. Though you technically have the best pokemon to do it, it's still impressive. Don't get carried away though, I'm just getting started! Cinccino, let's go!" He said. A small, mouselike pokemon emerged, covered in light and dark cream fur. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I was all too happy to scan it with my pokedex.

"_Cinccino, the Scarf Pokemon, and the evolved form of Minccino. Cinccino's fur is coated in oils that helps it endure enemy attacks, stay clean, and prevent static electricity from building up while at the same time keeping it soft to the touch._" I smiled as Cinccino winked at me, and I couldn't help but squeal at it.

"Cheren that is quite possibly THE most adorable pokemon I have EVER seen you use. And you expect me to beat the crap out of such a pretty little thing? Shame on you sir, SHAME!" I scolded. Cheren recoiled and blinked at me several times while the audience echoed my disapproval, and Cinccino basked in the the attention.

"Well SORRY, gosh, but you'll have to get over your obsession with cute things. I mean, some of the most adorable pokemon can pack a punch, and others are so annoying you will think horrible, awful things you want to have happen to them." He said as calmly as he could.

"Oh I know that. I won the Bolt Badge from Elesa not too long ago. Don't expect me to get an Emolga anytime soon." I said, eliciting many giggles from the audience. Cheren smirked as he recovered from my unexpected outburst.

"I know what you mean, I had nightmares about that battle for a couple of days after. Anyway, I'm about to prove to you why Cinccino is just as annoying. Tail Slap!" He called. Cinccino suddenly grew serious and rushed towards Sarah, leaping up and flipping over, bringing its tail down on Sarah. It whipped her several times before she got angry, rearing up to allow the tail to get inside her shell. She grabbed it and promptly threw Cinccino away from her, growling dangerously. Coiling its tail underneath, Cinccino bounced harmlessly on the ground and gave me and Sarah another cute smile.

"I don't think Sarah and I are going to see eye to eye on this one. Oh well, Dragonbreath!" I called, once more making people snicker. Sarah screeched as she fired a Dragonbreath at Cinccino, who only looked on happily as though Sarah was blowing it a kiss. Cheren smirked and crossed his arms.

"Dodge it, and then Sing." He said. Wait wait wait. What? Sing? I blinked stupidly as Cinccino catapulted itself into the air, well above the Dragonbreath, and landed right on top of Sarah's shell. It then clapsed its paws together and sat, singing a soft, relaxing melody. Though she tried her best, Sarah's legs gave out and she started rocking, a loud snoring coming out of her shell. I sighed and got ready to recall her when Cheren made another command.

"Wake-Up Slap!" He commanded. Cinccino pushed off Sarah's shell and smacked her back and forth with its tail before delivering one final hit that could easily be described as a bitch-slap, sending her rolling quickly off the stage into the crowd. Cheren and I looked in the direction she flew off in awkwardly while Cinccino crept over to see if she was okay.

"Maybe not the best idea for an attack on a pokemon you can play soccer with." I muttered. Cheren blushed as Sarah was lifted back onto the field by a large Conkeldurr. With a nod of thanks to Conkeldurr, I walked over to Sarah and pressed my hands on her shell, steadying her as the ref floated down.

"Shelgon is unable to battle, Cinccino wins!" He said. I sighed and recalled her, thanking her for doing her best and making my way back to my side of the field while Cheren grinned at me.

"Can't depend on a tank for everything, can you?" He asked like the smart alec he was. I rolled my eyes as I grabbed another pokeball, tossing and catching it in one hand.

"Which is why I don't. I prefer balance, for example, let's see how you do against my powerhouse. Sorrel, let's go!" I called, throwing the pokeball. My Typhlosion burst out of the ball and landed on the ground with a thud. He snorted and flexed his arms, stretching his muscles, before looking at Cinccino, tipping his hat in greeting. Cinccino giggled and gave a flirty wave, making Cheren roll his eyes.

"Oh for the love of Arceus, can we get rid of the hat? It's bad enough I can't take off Cinccino's scarf, but I won't be able to take the battle seriously with Sorrel looking and acting like a cowboy." He lamented. I chuckled as I crossed my arms, flashing Cheren a toothy grin.

"You are welcomed to try. Sorrel practically loves that hat more than me." I said, making the fiery badger turn around and whine in disagreement. I smiled and waved dismissively, assuring him I was kidding. Sorrel grinned at me as he turned back to the battle, and I stretched, cracking my back.

"Time to get serious now, Swift, Sorrel!" I called. Sorrel growled as he put a paw on his head, roaring as he spit out multiple stars at Cinccino, who tried to run away without any success.

"Tail Slap!" Cheren cried. Cinccino shook off the attack and charged at Sorrel, running up and flipping over to smack him with its tail. I grinned as Sorrel caught Cinccino in midair, grabbing it by the tail. Dangling by its tail, Cinccino looked at Sorrel with an expression that clearly said 'crap' as Sorrel suddenly flung it away from him.

"Gonna have to try better than that. Pretty sure Sorrel would EAT that thing in the wild." I said with a nod. Cheren grinned as Cinccino recovered, shaking again.

"You know fully well that isn't even my best move. Cinccino, sing!" He called. I winced as Cinccino began its soft lullaby from before.

"Cover your ears Sorrel! Don't listen!" I cried, but it was no use. He was doing that very thing, but the sound still got to him and he yawned, slowly getting down on the ground and passing out. He snored softly as Cinccino dashed over to him, poking him a few times to make sure he was really asleep.

"There we go. Now, normally I'd follow up with Wake-Up Slap, but that wouldn't finish off your Typhlosion, nor would it make him very happy. So we'll use Tail Slap instead!" He called. Cinccino proceeded to whip Sorrel mercilessly with its tail, and though he winced and whimpered, he did not wake up. I gritted my teeth as Cinccino continued the assault. If I didn't wake him up soon, he'd be out cold. Cinccino stopped momentarily to catch its breath, and it looked curiously at Sorrel's head. It reached out and pawed at his hat before pulling it off him, putting it on its own head, earning a groan from Cheren.

"Cinccino, just keep up Tail Slap." He said in exasperation. Cinccino nodded and resumed Tail Slap, and I got annoyed.

"Sorrel! Wake up Sorrel! Come on, wake up! Fight it off!" I called over and over. Sorrel continued to sleep uneasily as Cinccino attacked, and I was sure I was finished. And then I remembered what I had said at the start of the battle. It was a longshot, but hey, what did I have to lose?

"Sorrel get up! Cinccino stole your hat!" I cried. Sorrel's eyes then shot open and he glared at Cinccino, who let out an audible squeak as Sorrel raised himself up, growling dangerously at Cinccino.

"TYPHLOSION!" He screamed as his neck burst into flames. Cinccino started to run away while Sorrel glared.

"Yeah! Get your hat back Sorrel! Use Flame Charge!" I commanded. Sorrel snarled again and shot off in a ball of fire, slamming into Cinccino with great force. Cinccino went flying, hitting the field with enough force to take it out of commission. Sorrel stomped over and snatched his hat off Cinccino's unconscious head, snorting at it before walking back over to me, putting his hat back on his head and adjusting it. He crossed his arms and turned his nose up as the ref floated down.

"Uh….Cinccino is unable to battle, Typhlosion wins!" He said, thoroughly confused along with Cheren, who recalled his pokemon. The audience laughed while Sorrel continued to sulk, and I flashed an evil grin at Cheren.

"And THAT, is why I will never, EVER, try to make Sorrel take off his hat during battle." I told him. Cheren snickered as he pulled out another pokeball, nodding at me.

"Fair enough. Watchog, let's go!" He called as he threw the ball. A pokemon that vaguely resembled Patrat emerged, smirking at Sorrel as it crossed its arms. Sorrel took a brief glance at his opponent before he growled, uncrossing his arms and clenching his paws in a sort of fist. I took out my pokedex and scanned it as the glaring match ensued.

"_Watchog, the Lookout Pokemon, and the evolved form of Patrat. All Watchog have bioluminescent cells concentrated in their bodies, either in their eyes or their striped chests, allowing them to glow._" It said. Both pokemon continued to size each other up, and I blinked several times.

"Wait, is that?" I started, taking a closer look at the pokemon. Cheren smirked and nodded his head slowly.

"Yep. That's the little Patrat that knocked the stuffing out of Sorrel back in your first gym battle. This is going to be a fun match." He said. I grinned as Sorrel took off his hat and flicked it at me like a frisbee, not once taking his eyes off his opponent. I leapt up to grab it and put on the hat myself, since my bag was still in the waiting room.

"Indeed, Sorrel only takes off his hat when serious crap is about to go down. Sorrel, Fire Pledge!" I commanded. Sorrel grinned as he stomped his foot, his Fire Pledge making its way to Watchog. It smirked at him as it stood, waiting for a command from its trainer.

"Confuse Ray!" He commanded. Watchog's eyes began to glow and launched a flashing beam of light at Sorrel, interrupting his Fire Pledge. Thinking quickly, I clenched my hand and turned to Sorrel.

"Sorrel, stop Fire Pledge and use Flame Charge!" I called. Sorrel closed his eyes as he dropped down to all fours, covering himself completely in fire and charging towards Watchog. Watchog rolled its eyes as it effortlessly dodged out of the way, using Sorrel's blindness to his advantage, which is just what I wanted.

"Now use Blast Burn!" I cried, interrupting Cheren who was about to give an order. Sorrel immediately stopped where he was and growled as his fire began swirling around him. Cheren gritted his teeth as he turned to Watchog.

"Quick, another Confuse Ray before he finishes!" He cried. Watchog's eyes glowed again and he launched his beam at Sorrel, but it was too late. Sorrel turned and stood up, throwing out his arms. The ensuing explosion decimated the Confuse Ray and threw Watchog to the ground. In a sort of poetic justice, Watchog only twitched a couple of times before it relaxed into the floor as the referee floated in.

"Watchog is unable to battle, Typhlosion wins! And the victory goes to Vixen!" He called, making the audience cheer. I smiled as Sorrel ran over to me, scooping me up in his arms and hugging me tightly. I giggled and hugged him back, making him put me back down. With another smile, I took off his hat and gave it back to him, which he donned proudly. I looked at Cheren as he recalled his Watchog, making his way over to us across the field. He held out his hand and smiled warmly at me.

"Congratulations Vixen. You beat me again, and in one move no less. You and your pokemon are very impressive, and your friendship with them is astounding. Good luck on your journey." He said. I smiled back and clasped his hand, shaking it firmly. We gave each other a respectful bow and went our separate ways. I heard the crowd chanting my name even as Sorrel and I walked down the hallway towards the waiting room, and it was kinda embarrassing really. I wasn't used to such, for lack of a better word, worship. I put it out of my head though as I opened the door to the waiting room, greeted by the stunned expressions of the group from before and a proud smirk from Cory. I recalled Sorrel and placed his pokeball along with Sarah's in the healing port, giving them a second to recharge before I walked to Cory in the back. Yapper had taken my spot when I left, but he smiled and jumped down when I got close, allowing me to sit. I yawned as Cory changed the channel to see the final battle, and he took off his backpack, reaching behind me to pin it on the wall before pushing me over, my head landing on the bag.

"Relax a little bit. This guy is really good, you'll need all the energy you and your pokemon can muster to take him, and I won't let you lose to anyone but me, got it?" Cory demanded. I chuckled and just nodded as I closed my eyes, resting my head against Cory's bag while I cuddled Yapper's tail, which had draped itself over my lap, briefly falling asleep.

TBC

I'm sorry for being late, I got caught up reading TV Tropes two days *3 as of right now* in a row. In fact I was literally awake until 7:45. That's right, I was up the ENTIRE night. Don't know how I'm awake right now actually. Also, I'm in the 2013 International Challenge, so I'm writing and fighting at the same time. In a way, I'm playing Black 2 and White 2 at the same time. Kinda funny if you think about it XD You can blame my sleep-deprivation for the crack in this chapter. I'm better now. The following paragraphs don't have any significance to the story, so feel free to skip it and wait for the next chapter.

I wasn't just overestimating my Shelgon or anything in the fight with Stoutland and Cinccino *who doesn't actually HAVE Tail Slap the first time you fight Cheren in the Driftveil, I was substituting for Bullet Seed here*. Shelgon has the best defense of ALL non-legendary dragon type pokemon, including it's evolution, and being a Dragon Type itself with no secondary typing, it is frankly THE best pokemon for tanking. It's even better than Shuckle because, unlike Mr. TurtleWorm, Shelgon actually has a decent attacking stat and some nice moves, so you can literally annoy your opponent to death with it as opposed to making your opponent rage-quit with how long the battle is taking. If you want to take Shelgon to the metagame though, be prepared to be slaughtered. A lot of the pokemon that make up the OU tier are special-attackers, which is just plain awful on Shelgon. You are better off going in with a Salamence if you are bound and determined to have this family in your team, and praying your opponent doesn't have an Ice-Type move. Given that almost every fully-evolved Dragon is in the OU tier as well, with Garchomp being King of the Mountain, your odds of getting someone who DOESN'T at least have Ice Beam is 1 in a million.

Stoutland is also a good choice for people who want a defensive tank. While not as good as Shelgon in terms of defense, Intimidate will even the odds for you, and it has a wider move pool than Shelgon does and a nice attack stat. Basically, Stoutland is like a dumbed down Tyranitar, minus the all of the weaknesses. That's not to say you should compete with one on your team in the metagame. Like with Shelgon, if you try to do that, you will most likely get your ass kicked. You can have fun pissing off your opponent with it though. I'm sure they won't like getting their attack decreased if they are using say, Scizor.

If you are like me, and play pokemon for the fun of it and only enter tournaments to see how far your team can go, then fuck the metagame. You go and prove you have the best damn Shelgon and Stoutland there is. Show everyone what a monster Salamence CAN be. Seriously, I believe that if you really love the pokemon, it has as much right to be on your metagame team as Garchomp and Infernape do. If anyone chastises you for entering a wi-fi tournament with an Arbok or a Luvdisc, tell them to kiss your ass *though, I won't stand behind you if you DO enter a Luvdisc. You deserve endless ridicule for trying to seriously use Luvdisc.*

And that's my Competition advisory section. Sorry it's so long, I got kinda carried away. 5 bucks says the word count from this Author's Note alone pushes me over 100k word count. On another note, yay! 100K words! And _I'm still not done, even!_ I'm actually kinda scared XD.


	35. Chapter 34: Driftveil Tournament Round 3

I wasn't asleep for very long, obviously, but it felt VERY good anyway. Even as Cory shook me violently to rouse me, I felt much better than I did before my nap.

"Get up, it's your turn again. Come on you lazy little twerp, wake up." Cory snapped. I took a deep breath and stretched while I pulled myself out of sleep, and I heard a yelp in front of me. Opening my eyes, I saw yet ANOTHER trainer had broken off from the group to take a shot at me. But he made a big mistake in underestimating Cory's violence. The guy clutched his stomach and hobbled away while Cory rubbed his fist. I smiled in thanks, but he just glared at me in response. I sighed and stood up, petting Yapper and heading to the door. The official gave Cory a nasty look, but turned to me with a warm smile.

"Your final match is back on field 1. You are still on the blue side, good luck." She told me. I grinned and walked past her, Lola's pokeball dangling on my neck. As I stood behind the curtain, I clutched her ball tightly.

'_You awake?_' I asked in my mind, searching for hers. I felt her stir, and a slight pang of annoyance, but she finally woke up enough and fully connected.

'_I am now. Are we gonna fight yet?_' She asked. I suppressed the urge to chuckle as the door shuddered, preparing to open.

'_Actually, I'm going into the final match right now. Sorrel and Sarah took care of Cheren, my last opponent._' I told her as the door went down, the curtains fluttering.

'_I'm with you Vixen, good luck to Sarah and Sorrel._' She said, starting to get her usual gusto back. I chuckled as I rattled the curtains.

'_Just be ready Lola, this will be the hardest one yet._' I told her. I felt her enthusiasm growing and couldn't help but grin even before the announcer started talking.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, presenting our rising star, whose surprising strength and ingenuity cleared the way to the final match, the little trainer with a big bite, Vixen!_" Said the announcer. A spotlight shone on me and stayed with me as I walked to the field, a light turning on and becoming bluer with each step. I stepped onto the field and grinned, waving at the audience who cheered. I was slowly getting used to the attention, but it was still kinda awkward.

"_And her opponent, a mysterious young scientist who seeks to bring out the true power of pokemon, his cleverness is quite honed like his opponents, Colress!_" On the other side of the arena, Colress emerged from the curtain behind the door. He walked across the walkway, with each light turning redder with every step, until he stood across from me on the field. He smiled warmly at me and gave me a small wave with one hand, the other clutching his tablet. I smiled awkwardly back and grabbed my pokeball, him doing the same.

"It is good to see you again, Vixen. I must say I am rather pleased to see you, both in the final match of this tournament and in general. I guess there was nothing for me to worry about on Route 5?" He asked. My eye twitched as I tightened my grip on Sarah's pokeball.

"Actually, I got jumped on Route 5, and I've got the wound to prove it." I said, resisting the urge to scratch my head. Colress' smile never faltered even as the referee floated down.

"Trainers, call out your pokemon!" He commanded. Colress and I threw our pokeballs and our pokemon emerged in front of us. Sarah dug her feet into the field while Magneton floated in front. I guess it was a better battler now, since it evolved, but I was still determined to win despite that.

"Battle begin!" The ref called as he and Magnezone floated away.

"Thunder Wave."

"Dragonbreath!" Colress and I called. Our pokemon launched the attacks at the same time and they collided in midair, with neither side giving an inch. I clenched my fist tightly as I thought something over.

"Sarah, keep up your Dragonbreath and go into Zen Headbutt!" I commanded. Sarah glowed as she ran towards Magneton, using her Dragonbreath as a shield from its paralyzing attack, and leapt up when she was close, slamming her glowing shell into it. Magneton faltered and tried to get itself together, but Sarah and I weren't going to let it.

"Finish it with Dragonbreath!" I cried. The pink firestream burst out of the opening of her shell, engulfing Magneton. It screeched in pain the entire time until she relented, and it slowly collapsed on the floor, its three bodies rolling away from each other slightly.

"Magneton is unable to battle, Shelgon wins!" The ref called. Sarah snorted as she stomped a foot, proud of herself for taking down an opponent that could resist all of her attacking moves. Colress smiled and wrote something on his tablet before he recalled Magneton and he gave me an approving look.

"Well done, I'm quite impressed. It seems I have a long way to go with my Magneton. Elgyem, let's begin." He said, throwing another pokeball. A small, green, rocky pokemon emerged, and I whipped out my pokedex to look at it.

"_Elgyem, the Cerebral pokemon. Elgyem are powerful, and will use their psychic abilities to squeeze the opponent's brain to cause an unbearable headache when threatened._" It said as Elgyem beeped at Sarah. I grinned and crossed my arms while Sarah snorted.

"Cute little thing. Ready when you are, Colress!" I called. He smiled at me and nodded, raising his hand.

"Very well, Elgyem, Psybeam!" He commanded. Elgyem beeped and raised its arms, the three lights on its hands glowing as a multicolored beam shot out, smacking Sarah inside the opening of her shell. Sarah wobbled and groaned, but she was still standing, so I decided to keep going.

"Sarah, use Bite!" I called, but Sarah ignored me and started spinning around instead. Colress smirked while I sighed.

"It appears your Shelgon is confused." Colress stated, rather bluntly. I couldn't help but glare at his rather obvious remark.

"No, really? I thought she was trying out for Swanna Lake." I said, making the crowd laugh. Colress gave me a charming smile as he tapped away on his tablet.

"Your wit knows no bounds. Elgyem, Headbutt." He commanded, pushing up his glasses. Elgyem beeped and flew towards Sarah, slamming its head on her shell. Sarah was knocked back and rolled towards me, and for a brief moment Colress looked concerned. I stuck out a foot just before Sarah hit it and she was stopped in place, and I briefly rolled her and looked inside her shell. I couldn't see her eyes, and she made no sounds or movements when I knocked on her shell, so I looked at the ref and stuck out my fist with my thumb out, tilting it down. He got the signal and lifted his flags as I recalled Sarah.

"Shelgon is unable to battle, Elgyem wins!" He cried. The crowd was a mixture of cheers and jeers, and I glared at Colress, gripping Lola's pokeball tightly.

"I don't appreciate you confusing my pokemon like that." I stated. He just continued to smile as I took the pokeball off my lanyard, throwing it.

"Get'em Lola!" I cried. Lola burst out of the pokeball with a roar and stomped on the ground, snorting at Elgyem.

'_I'll do my best!'_ Lola told me. I grinned as Colress nodded approvingly at us.

"Good choice. It seems your temper is the key to your power?" He asked. I blinked several times at him and tilted my head while Lola made a curious sound.

"Temper? I'm annoyed not angry. Poor Sarah and Sorrel have been getting knocked around in all kinds of directions. I'm just sympathizing with my pokemon." I stated. Colress nodded at me and wrote something down.

"I see. That tends to happen to pokemon in the second stage. Now then, if you're ready, let's continue." He said. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms while Lola whimpered.

'_He's weird._' She stated. I struggled to suppress a snicker and shook my head.

"Let's just get started. Dragon Pulse!" I called. Lola roared while she prepared her attack, and some muscles in Colress' face twitched as he thought of a counter while Lola launched the misty beam within its purple rings.

"Counter with Psybeam!" He said, even though he most likely knew that a psychic type move would never hurt Lola. The two attacks collided in the middle, and an explosion ensued.

"Perfect! Go Lola!" I called. Lola jumped into the smoke, and Elgyem floated upwards to evade any oncoming attack.

'_Hold on Lola, can you see in the smoke?_' I asked her.

'_I can't "see" outside the smoke, let alone in it. Where did it go?_' She asked. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes while I looked up.

'_Above you._'

"Use Crunch!" I cried. Lola leapt up out of the smoke and latched onto Elgyem's legs, throwing it down on the ground. Elgyem beeped weakly and relaxed into the ground while the referee raised his flags.

"Elgyem is unable to battle, Deino wins!" He cried. Colress smiled softly as he recalled his pokemon.

"Well done, your pokemon is quite intriguing. Let's see how she does in a type disadvantage. Klink, let's go." He said as he tossed another pokeball, the familiar gears spinning around. Lola huffed and growled softly at the pokemon, but the faces made no acknowledgement of her threats.

"We're ready when you are!" I yelled. Colress smiled and pointed at Lola.

"Thundershock." He called. Klink spun faster as electricity covered them, and I crossed my arms.

"Dragon Pulse!" I called. She wouldn't take much damage from an electric type attack, especially when it wasn't coming from an electric pokemon, but it would suck if she got paralyzed against a speedy opponent. Their attacks met each other in the air, but I could see the Thundershock was starting to overtake Lola's attack.

"Jump to the side!" I called. Lola immediately stopped her Dragon Pulse and ran to the side as the Thundershock whizzed past her.

"Gear Grind!" Colress called. Klink chased after Lola, but I was prepared for that.

"Go after it and use Crunch!" I called. Lola turned around and ran at Klink, grabbing it at the joint where its two bodies connected and slammed it down.

"Now use Dragon Pulse and blow it away!" I yelled. Lola concentrated her power and unleashed Dragon Pulse' sphere form, and Klink went flying, landing in front of Colress with a heavy thud. The referee and his Magnezone floated down to look at Colress' pokemon, and then pulled away.

"Klink is unable to battle, Deino wins! The victory goes to Vixen!" He called. The crowd burst into applause as Colress recalled his pokemon, and I grinned while I ran onto the field to grab Lola and spin her around, hugging her tightly.

"Way to go Lola!" I yelled, hugging her. Lola warbled and rubbed her head on me, pride flowing from her.

'_I couldn't have done it without you._' She said as she leapt out of my arms.

"Nor I, you Lola." I replied.

After that, I stood up on stage with Lola, Sarah, and Sorrel standing behind me while Clay congratulated me. All the trainers who entered the competition stood behind him, congratulating me on my victory. Even Cory was able to get over himself and clap for me while the Gym Leader presented me with a Battle Points card, which I could use to get neat prizes. I gushed over my pokemon and congratulated everyone for working so hard, and they were equally as proud as I was, since Sorrel lifted me up and plopped me on Sarah's back.

Sarah carried me out of the building, with Sorrel and Lola on either side of her, when I was approached by a teen and a young boy. The teen smiled at me while the boy glared, and I grinned.

"Ready to get out of here? Zachary, Zorua?" I asked. The two suddenly leapt up and flipped backwards, returning to their normal pokemon forms. Zachary continued to smile warmly at me while the Zorua pouted, and suddenly they looked behind me, exchanging expressions.

"Without saying goodbye?" I heard a voice say. Leaning back on Sarah and turning around, I saw Cory mounted on the back of his Arcanine, who padded up beside me and greeted my pokemon. I smiled and stretched, looking at the sky.

"If I don't leave Driftveil tonight I never will. I love it here." I told him. Cory snorted as he reached into his bag, taking out a weird-looking device. He held it out to me with a stern look.

"If you're getting lost so much, you should take this. Plug it into the USB port on the X-Transceiver and it'll pop out a 3D image of the area you're in. You can zoom in and everything too." He told me. I took the small gadget and decided to test Cory's theory, and to my surprise it indeed showed me a small map of the Pokemon World Tournament grounds. I grinned and started playing with it.

"Wow, thanks Cory! This will DEFINITELY come in handy. So, where are you headed?" I asked, looking up at him. He took a deep breath and looked up at the sky again.

"First I'm gonna try to get my badge, and then I'll probably stay here and train some. To be honest, we didn't do as well as I would have hoped. Wotter needs to build up some endurance." He said with a sigh. He looked at me carefully before his eyes widened, and he dug his heels into Yapper who pushed Sarah aside, with me hanging on as she tried to regain her footing. Before I could yell at Cory, I saw two people run by. Two members of the New Team Plasma.

"What are they up to?" I asked out loud.

"I dunno, but I have a bad feeling about it." He said as Yapper growled. I heard the sound of claws scraping on the road, and I looked to see Cheren sitting on his Stoutland.

"Then why don't we go find out?" He said. Cory and I grinned as I got off Sarah and climbed onto Zachary instead, recalling everyone else, with some difficulty from Zorua.

"I like the way you think Cheren." I said as I leaned into Zachary, ready to go. Just as we were about to move, we heard someone clear their throat, and I turned again to see Colress.

"I'm not certain that is wise. It is reckless to charge into a situation unprepared. You should stay out of things that don't concern you." He said with a soft smile before he nodded at us, walking away. My eye twitched while I gripped Zachary's mane.

"Tell that to someone who didn't get brained by Team Plasma!" I called. Colress merely lifted a hand, and I huffed while Stoutland padded ahead, sniffing the ground before howling.

"We'll ignore that for now, Stoutland's got the scent, hurry before they get away!" Cheren said as the pokemon began running. Cory and I nodded at each other and gently dug our heels into our pokemon and they took off after Cheren.

Whatever Team Plasma was up to, it doesn't matter. Right now, it's payback time.

TBC

I'm so sorry that took so long. I've been caught up in training for the Winter Friendly. And I've been dreading the Colress battle for some reason. I'm back on track though, no worries. Bedtime for now, tomorrow, we go after Team Plasma!


	36. Chapter 35: Team Plasma's Goal

As our pokemon ran, I couldn't help but seethe at the thought of Team Plasma. I clenched Zachary's mane in my fingers tightly as I let the anger at Team Plasma fester inside me. They stole my pokemon, they attacked my master, they tried to kill me, this could not go unpunished. It was time for a little retribution.

'_I'm worried about you._' Lola said suddenly. I blinked a few times and concentrated on my link with her.

'_What do you mean? Aren't YOU angry about all the crap they've thrown at us?_' I asked her. I felt a slight pang of indignation, but I couldn't tell if it was mine or hers.

'_Of course I am. We all are. The difference is that we're POKEMON. You're a human, you are supposed to have better control. How can you expect us to hold our tempers and obey you when you can't even get ahold of your own anger?_' She told me. I blinked again and sighed, leaning into Zachary as he ran, and he made a comforting purring sound.

'_No one is perfect, Lola. I'm not going to hurt anyone if that is what you guys are worried about. There's an old saying, "An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind"._' I told her, grinning at the accidental pun. I could feel her annoyance surge through me.

'_Stop making sight jokes, this is serious._' She snapped.

'_So am I. That was an accidental pun, Lola. It means that if you go out and hurt someone for hurting you, then you'll just wind up killing each other. I'm not going to go on a roaring rampage of destruction just because of the crap Team Plasma has put me through. It's an option, but it's not my first plan of action._' I explained. I could feel her suspicion in me, but she let it go.

'_Then what are you going to do when you find them?_' She asked me. I didn't know what to say to her. She retreated from my mind to give me space to think about my answer. What WAS I going to do when we found them. I looked up as Zachary stopped running, and we had come up to a really old looking ship. Cheren and Cory looked up at it in confusion.

"What kind of ship is that?" Cory asked. Cheren leaned back on Stoutland and grabbed his chin, frowning.

"It's a really old sailing ship. I didn't think they made them like this anymore when I was little, let alone in this age. It looks brand new too." He said. While they thought it over, I took a closer look at it and gasped, tightening my grip on Zachary.

"Guys, that's the boat that showed up on my way to Castelia, the one that attacked the S.S. Thundurus!" I exclaimed. Cory and Cheren looked at me with wide eyes before turning back to the boat, and Cheren gritted his teeth.

"In that case, we need to get on board." He said. We nodded as I dismounted Zachary. He shook himself and took a few steps backward, running forward and jumping at the ship. I watched in awe as he flew at the ship, slamming into the side. He dug his claws in the hull and climbed up. When he got to the edge of the ship, he crawled to where the gangplank was and climbed onto the ship. Soon, a large, mechanical gangplank shot out at us and slammed onto the dock, and Zachary padded down, sitting down in front of me and panting. I smiled and patted his head softly.

"Thanks Zachary, you should get some rest." I said, recalling him into his pokeball. Stoutland walked over to me and knelt down as Cheren reached out, helping me onto the pokemon behind him.

"Great work, let's go find out where those missing trainers and pokemon are." He said. Stoutland and Yapper barked as they walked on the gangplank, their ears were moving about in many directions, listening for danger. We crept onto the ship and looked around for a moment when I heard a booming voice in my head.

'_RUN! GET AWAY FROM HERE OR YOU'LL DIE!'_ Said the voice. I groaned in pain and clutched my head as I tried to decipher the voice's command, but it was too late. We were surrounded on all sides by members of Team Plasma. They and their pokemon snickered as Stoutland and Yapper huddled close together, and I gritted my teeth.

"It was a trap." I said bluntly. Team Plasma laughed as one of the women clapped slowly, her Seviper chuckling along with her as it coiled around her.

"Very good. Now surrender your pokemon and be destroyed." She said haughtily.

"Don't you mean, 'or'?" Cory asked. Her eyes held an amused and deadly gleam as Seviper hunched on itself.

"Nope. Seviper, get rid of them!" She cried. Thinking quickly, I grabbed Lola's pokeball and threw it.

"Lola, use Crunch!" I cried. Lola burst out of the pokeball and snarled. She ducked her head and latched onto Seviper's neck, throwing it away from us. I snickered and got down from Stoutland as Lola ran back to me, standing in front of me protectively.

"Begone, foul serpent!" I yelled, taunting Seviper and its trainer. The woman glared at me as she clenched her fist.

"Team Plasma, let's get them!" She called. Koffing and Trubbish and Patrat, and various other pokemon rushed towards us, and the three of us prepared for battle.

It was Team Plasma's foot soldiers against a Gym Leader, Aspertia City's most favored trainer, and an Elite 4's apprentice. They never stood a chance against us. Fallen pokemon laid scattered around us on the ship, and Lola, Yapper, and Stoutland were all very tired. They panted hard and made a circle around us to keep us safe even though they were exhausted. Team Plasma glared at us as we faced each other, and suddenly they parted while a large, old man walked towards us, clapping.

"Well done, I would expect nothing less of you three." He said. The corner of Cheren's mouth lifted up as he crossed his arms, staring intently at him.

"Hello Zinzolin. Long time no see." He said. I glanced at Cheren as the man, Zinzolin, chuckled.

"Yes it has been much too long. You've been a thorn in my side for quite awhile Cheren. You might have stopped us from our plans before, but we won't be defeated." He said, stomping his foot.

"What do you mean? What are you planning!?" Cheren asked. Zinzolin chuckled as he clenched his fist.

"We will rule the Unova region, we will once again use a Legendary Dragon of Unova to enforce our control, and this time, you will not stop us. Shadow Triad!" He said, yelling out at the end. Three ninja appeared around him suddenly and glared at us.

"Get them out of here!" Zinzolin commanded. One of the ninja turned his gaze to Zinzolin and narrowed his eyes at him.

"We are not yours to command." He said in an icy voice that made me unsettled.

"I know, but they cannot be here right now! Get rid of them or they will interfere with Ghetsis' plans!" He said. The ninja nodded and they suddenly disappeared, and we huddled up together for safety. A gust of wind blew and suddenly, our pokemon retreated into their pokeballs. The ninja then appeared in front of us and they each grabbed us. I wanted to fight them off, but I couldn't move. I looked down and saw something buried in my arm, and I realized they must have had a concealed knife or something with some sort of sedative in it, preventing me from moving. By the looks of Cheren and Cory, they were paralyzed too as the ninja picked us up, carrying us over to the side of the ship and tossing us overboard.

As we fell towards the water, unable to even scream for help, I tried to think of a way to get us out of this situation. The boat started to sail away as we hit the water, leaving us for dead. Cheren, Cory and I sank in the water, and I could feel myself passing out even though Lola was screaming in my head to stay awake. I could feel her pokeball wiggle on my neck as she struggled to get out, but she was too tired to break out of it. I could no longer fight the sedative and fell asleep, but I saw two forms approach us before my vision faded.

When I woke up, I found myself back in Team Plasma's church. I took a deep breath as I opened my eyes, and I saw a pair of big, red eyes look back at me. I blinked as I sat up, and I heard someone sigh in relief.

"Oh thank goodness you are alright. We were so worried." I heard Rood's voice say. I blinked a few times when he turned on a light, and I found myself in the same room I woke up in the first time I was here. Rood stood at the foot of my bed while my pokemon surrounded me, staring at me with worried eyes. Lola leapt onto the bed and carefully walked towards me, butting her head against my chest.

'_Vixen, are you okay?_' She asked with a whimper. I smiled and encircled her head, hugging her tightly while my other pokemon, minus Zorua and the strange pokemon, moved closer to me.

"I think so. What happened?" I asked. Rood smiled and gestured to the strange pokemon beside my bed.

"I'm not entirely sure. This Dragonair suddenly showed up with you and two boys draped over its back, and the three of you were out cold. We were afraid you weren't going to make it." He said. I blinked a few times as I reached for my bag, pulling out my pokedex and scanning the giant blue snake.

"_Dragonair, the Dragon pokemon, and the evolved form of Dratini. It uses the orbs on its body to amplify its powers, giving it the ability to fly and control the weather._" it said. Dragonair bowed its head at me while Lola smiled.

'_She and a Magnezone pulled you out of the water when you went overboard, but Magnezone left after it put Cory on her back and told her about this place. Then she brought us over here and Rood let everyone out while the knights took you, Cheren and Cory into the rooms to treat you._' Lola explained. I smiled and reached out to Dragonair, and she looked at me suspiciously.

"Thank you for your help. You saved my life." I said, looking her over. Her long, blue body looked soft, and full of grace, and as she held herself proudly, I couldn't help but beam at her.

"You, you're the one who kept me and Grimsley above water in the Castelia sewers, aren't you?" I asked. She nodded and made a soft, ringing squeal to Lola.

'_She said she was just a little Dratini in an alleyway when she first saw you, and was happy to help you when you obviously needed it. She did not appreciate you biting her tail though._' Lola told me, and I chuckled sheepishly.

"I'm sorry about that, but I didn't want to pull you over the waterfall with us. Thanks for your help." I told her. She nodded and turned to the door, slithering out. I blinked a few times and tilted my head before I sighed, hugging Lola.

"Easy come easy go, I guess." I said, making Rood chuckle.

"It seems so. Tell me dear, were you conversing with that pokemon?" He asked. I turned to him with wide eyes as I realized that I had just used my connection with Lola in front of him.

"Oops." I said. Rood laughed warmly and shook his head at me, giving me a smile that matched his voice in warmth.

"Fret not, my dear, I will keep your secret safe. I must say though, it must be wonderful to be able to speak with pokemon on an equal level." He said. I smiled and hugged Lola tightly while I looked at him.

"Well, not completely. I can only talk to Lola. But she translates for other pokemon when I need it. Where are Cheren and Cory? Are they okay?" I asked, suddenly worried. Rood nodded as he turned to the door, and I hurried out of bed to join him. I felt myself lifted up and plopped onto a leathery surface, and looked down to see Sarah.

'_Sorrel did it._' Lola said as Sarah waddled to the door. We left the room and I saw Cheren and Cory talking to Rood. I smiled and waved at them while Sarah made her way over to them, the rest of my pokemon following. Cheren smiled at me as though he were relieved, and Cory rolled his eyes.

"Are you alright Vixen?" Cheren asked. I nodded as I leapt down from on top of Sarah and walked up to Cheren, hugging him.

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks to that Dragonair, we're all okay. How are you guys?" I asked. Cheren smiled at me while Cory took a deep breath.

"We're fine. Still woozy from that knock-out drug those ninja gave us, but luckily the old man had something to counter it." Cory said, gesturing to Rood. He smiled and nodded at us as he clasped his hands together.

"You fell victim to the Shadow Triad. Thankfully, I know all of their poisons well, and I always carry the antidotes for all of them with me." He said, pulling out a bag that clearly came from a Master Prep Shop. I smiled and stood up straighter, feeling better more and more.

"Thanks, that foresight really helped us. So, who ARE the Shadow Triad, Rood?" I asked. Cheren narrowed his eyes as though he were thinking, and Rood took a deep breath.

"They are a trio of young people who are completely devoted to Ghetsis. They have abilities beyond human comprehension that rival those of pokemon themselves. They have no morals, no personalities, no emotions except for their undying love and loyalty to Ghetsis. They are dangerous, so much so that even my lord N did not trust them. He had confided in me that I was the only sage that he could trust with his suspicion, and asked me to research their chemicals so that, if and when needed, I could cure anyone who fell prey to it." He said slowly. I frowned while Cheren cleared his throat, calling attention to himself.

"Well, I'm glad you did. Rood, I never met you, but you were one of the Seven Sages. You make it look like you have changed sides, that you want to help us. Is that true?" He asked. Rood nodded slowly and reached in his coat, producing a few pokeballs that he held out to Cheren.

"Indeed, and I will do anything to prove it, starting with surrendering my pokemon." He said. Cheren shook his head and pushed his hands back, crossing his arms.

"Not what I had in mind. I have some questions for you, and I want you to answer them honestly." He said sternly. Rood returned his pokeballs to wherever he got them from and smiled at Cheren.

"Very well, what would you like to know?" He asked. Cheren stared at him quietly for a moment, giving a curt nod as he figured out what he wanted to say.

"Earlier today, we had found the New Team Plasma. They were on a ship that was ripped right out of the history books, and Zinzolin showed up while we were pummeling the grunts. Before he made the Shadow Triad throw us overboard, he said something that disturbs me. He said that Team Plasma still plans to rule Unova with the Legendary Dragon of Unova." He said. Rood's eyes widened momentarily and he gasped.

"But that's impossible. My Lord N, though we know not where he is, he would not be foolish enough to side with Ghetsis again. The Hero of Truth would never allow anyone to control her, especially not someone like Ghetsis, and both Zekrom and Reshiram are too powerful for him to overcome." He said. Cheren continued to frown and his teeth gritted.

"Could Ghetsis have kidnapped N then? Or, Arceus forbid, Carina? You know, threaten them to make Zekrom and Reshiram to obey him?" He asked. Rood shook his head at Cheren slowly.

"No, if it came to that, Zekrom and Reshiram would kill him and all who followed in his footsteps. The research I did on the Legendary Dragons prior to my lord awakening Zekrom shows that the dragons are incredibly loyal to their chosen heroes, they love them as though they were their offspring." He said. Cheren huffed and he and Rood went into deep thought, trying to decipher Zinzolin's warning. Suddenly, I felt something poke my back and I turned to look at Zachary, who stared at me sternly, pointing to the pokedex still clutched in my hand. I held it out to him and he took it, pressing various buttons on it before handing it over to me, and I looked at the entry that began to play.

"_Kyurem, the Boundary Pokemon. It generates a powerful, freezing energy inside itself, but it's frozen body is unable to contain the energy, which constantly leaks out from it._" It said out loud, catching Cheren and Rood's attention.

"What was that? Kyurem?" Rood asked, tilting his head. Cheren leaned over and looked at the picture of the gray-colored dragon on my pokedex, and Zachary said something to Lola, who gasped and turned to me.

'_Zachary says that when he rescued you and Elesa, he found Kyurem inside the ship in a weird tube. It helped him find you guys and then it used its ice to make a trail for Zachary to follow to get you out._' Lola said. I blinked several times at her and turned to Zachary, who continued to eye me seriously.

"Lola says that Zachary saw Kyurem on the ship. Elesa and I got kidnapped by Team Plasma and took us onto their ship, and Kyurem led him in and out of the ship. Reshiram said something about Kyurem too when she took me out of Castelia, but she didn't tell me a whole lot." I told them. Cheren and Cory looked at me like I had drop-kicked a Lillipup in front of them, and Rood made a curious noise.

"I see, from what I know of Kyurem though, it is nowhere near as powerful as either Reshiram OR Zekrom, let alone both of them." He said. I frowned now and crossed my arms, trying to think of what Team Plasma was getting at. I looked at my X-Transceiver and immediately lifted it up, tapping the call feature and dialing Carina's number. After ringing for forever, I saw her face appear on the screen, but the red dot in the bottom right corner told me it was her videomail.

"_Hiya! I'm Carina, and I LOVE talking to anyone and everyone who cares to hear! Unfortunately, I'm busy right now and I can't do that, so feel free to gab to your heart's delight and I'll get back to you as soon as I can, thanks!_" It said. I sighed and rolled my eyes, hanging up and shaking my head at Rood and Cheren.

"Well, there goes that plan. What now?" I asked. Cheren thought for a moment and stared at my X-Transceiver.

"Do you have the numbers of the Elite 4? Maybe they'll know something." He said. I blinked slowly and looked at my X-Transceiver again, and I sighed, pulling it up again. I dialed my Master's number and waited as it rang, and Shauntal's face appeared on the screen, and I couldn't help but groan.

"I was sure I called Grimsley." I said. Shauntal stared at me with empty, glossy eyes and a weird smile and I resisted the urge to shudder.

"You did, but he's sleeping so we're taking turns watching over him and taking his calls. What do you need?" She asked. I blinked at her slowly in response.

"Who are you and what have you done with Shauntal? I've never heard you speak so straight." I said to her. She just continued to stare at me, and I sighed again. This was going to be a long phone call.

"Do you know anything about a pokemon called Kyurem?" I asked. She continued to stare at me with her same, creepy look, and I was worried if I had said it loud enough.

"I once used Kyurem as apart of a novel. It was such a thrilling arc in the book! The hero and his faithful Flareon had to go through the Giant Chasm in their journey across Unova, and the snow was harsh. They had gotten to the center of the pit when the blizzard intensified, and even his Flareon couldn't stay warm in it. They tried to take shelter in a cave, but the cold was even worse in there. He thought he was done for when he saw a pair of yellow eyes, but the cold winds stopped. He fell into slumber and when he woke up, he found himself outside the chasm." She said, and I heard Cheren groan. I chuckled sheepishly at him and turned back to Shauntal.

"One more thing, I tried to get ahold of Carina but she didn't answer. When I left Castelia Reshiram told me that Kyurem was once apart of the Original Dragon that helped create Unova. Team Plasma now has Kyurem, but Rood, one of the former Seven Sages, said it isn't as powerful as Reshiram and Zekrom." I said. She nodded slowly and mumbled incoherently, her voice suddenly quiet for a moment before she spoke to me again.

"In a good story, the author has to make their protagonist unique by looking at what is there and what can go against it. In order to write a perfect story, you need to make it seem like you are telling the same story, but then invoke a plot twist that turns it into something else entirely! Assure your reader that things are not always as they appear, and you will broaden their perspective." She said, and Cheren and Cory looked like they wanted to reach through the X-Transceiver and strangle her. I thought over what she said and smiled as I realized what she was saying, and I turned back to her empty, distracted face on the screen.

"Thank you. Tell Grimsley I said "hi" when he wakes up." I said. She smiled and waved as I ended the phone call, and Cory glared at me.

"1, how do you know the Hero of Truth and the Elite 4? And 2, what the fuck did THAT mean?" He asked. I snickered and flicked his nose as I turned my hand down.

"What can I say? I'm really likable when you give me a chance. Anyway, what Shauntal said is that it is entirely possible Kyurem has another side to it that could make it dangerous in the wrong hands. What that could be, I have no clue. I have a feeling Reshiram or Zekrom would know, though." I said, sighing. Of all the times for Carina to not answer my call, she picked the worst. We stayed silent as we thought over Shauntal's words, but no one had any ideas.

And so we stayed in the church while Rood and his knights made sure we got all of the drug out of our systems. I had explained my role in the pokemon league to Cory, from being the apprentice to one of the Elite 4 to my Dark-Type Affinity, and everything in between. By the time we were allowed to leave, the sun had begun setting, and I was disappointed because I would never get to the next town before nightfall. But I still wanted to get out of Driftveil. If I was going to fight Team Plasma, then I needed to get stronger. Even Grimsley said that Carina had defeated him and the rest of the Elite 4 before she challenged the leaders of Team Plasma, and I knew I was nowhere near ready to battle my Master, even if he and his pokemon went easy on me. Cheren, sympathetic to my cause, told me about Mistralton City, which was outside of Chargestone Cave on Route 6. We all decided that Cory and I would keep going on our journey and get strong enough to help Carina when the time came, and in the meantime Rood and his Team Plasma would do research on Kyurem to find out what about the pokemon was appealing to the new Team Plasma.

Cory and I left the church, and after a nod to each other we went our separate ways. He was going to go challenge Clay while I got started on my trek to Mistralton City. I had recalled everyone except Zachary, and we started on the path of Route 6. When it got dark, Zachary lead me through the grass to the forest, where we discovered a weird bush. It was squashed between two trees, and after a little wriggling, Zachary crawled inside. I followed him and we found a large room. It was sheltered from the elements, and was quiet except for the wind. It looked a little bit like the place I reunited with Zachary in, and with a soft smile, I let my other pokemon out again. We built a small fire and enjoyed dinner, taking a small break from the chaos of today.

I don't know how Team Plasma managed to get a pokemon like Kyurem, who sounded incredibly nice, but we were going to stop them and free it.

Even if it killed us.

TBC

I have decided I'm gonna end all chapters on a small one-liner so that people with smaller/larger screens don't have to worry about the line being messy. I hate not having a real border -_-

This was a big chapter, and a hard one to write. I took a LOT of liberty with the plot here just to add a little darkness to it, though I admit it's turned into something of a running gag. Every time Vixen enters a new place, someone or something is going to go after her. I don't intend on stopping that, because it adds to her character, but yeah, everything is trying to kill her. Strangely, I am okay with this.

I dunno if you could tell, but I wrote myself into a corner here. I forgot that by having Carina return to Unova, Vixen could simply ask Reshiram why Team Plasma wanted to use Kyurem even though it was weaker than her. If you've played the games, then you know the answer, and so do Reshiram and Zekrom. I think I did okay on rescuing myself though. I'll put the finishing touches on it in the next chapter.


	37. Chapter 36: Cobalion

The next morning, we got up early so that we could start for Mistralton. We enjoyed a small breakfast and tried to find any excuse possible to stay in our cozy home away from home, which I had dubbed a Hidden Hollow. Failing to find any excuse to speak of, I recalled everyone except Lola and left the safety of my Hidden Hollow.

Lola and I trekked through the wet grass, enjoying the smell of the forest and the sounds of the bubbling creek, perfectly at ease. I don't know why, but I always liked places like this. There was something romantic about the forest.

'_I like it here. Most of my old pack would hate it because of how bright it is, but aside from not knowing where the creek is, this is just my style._' Lola said as we crossed a bridge.

"Oh really? That reminds me, Lola, what were you guys doing on Route 19? If you guys like caves so much, what brought you all the way out there?" I asked. Lola made a small sound that I could not identify as she butted her head against my leg.

'_Something happened to our old home. We used to live in a big mountain on what you refer to as Victory Road, but one day it started shaking. It was horrible, awful shaking, and we were very confused. Terrakion, who lived in the mountain with us, helped us get out safely, but our home was destroyed._' She told me. I frowned and reached down to pet Lola, scratching her fuzz.

"What happened? Do you know?" I asked. She shook her head and kept walking.

'_All Terrakion said was that it was the humans fault. He said their machines destroyed the mountain on the Route 10 side. We started looking for a new home after that._' She said, sighing softly. I frowned and stopped walking, bending down to hug her.

"Well, at least you made it to a place where I could find you. I know I'm not a dark, damp cave, but I'm just as good right?" I asked, tightening my grip. Lola laughed and craned her neck, nuzzling my back.

'_No, I think you're better. I'll take you over a smelly cave any day._' She said with a grin. I grinned back at her and stood up, starting forward when I heard the grass rustle. I looked around, but couldn't find anything, but from the way Lola growled I knew there was danger.

"What should we do Lola?" I asked. She continued growling and backed up close to me.

'_I have never smelled this before, I do not recognize it. We should hide._' She replied. I nodded and bent down to pick her up, cautiously making my way through the trees with as little noise as possible so she could hear. We made it to a small clearing, with the creek on one side and a tall mountain on the other with a cave inside. I set Lola down and turned to the forest I just came out of, which continued to rustle, and I braced myself for whatever came out.

"Lola, Dragon Pulse!"

"Thorn, use Venoshock!" We cried out at once. The two attacks collided in midair, and when the smoke disappeared, I saw Cory sitting on his Scolipede, both glaring at me and Lola intensely. I let out a sigh of relief and returned the glare as Lola returned to my side.

"What's wrong with you? you scared the crap out of me!" I yelled. Cory snorted as he dismounted Thorn, the two of them walking over to me.

"What's wrong with ME? What's wrong with YOU? You attacked me!" He yelled back.

"Only because you were stalking me! Listen buddy, I've been through a LOT the last few days! I've had my pokemon stolen from me, I've nearly drowned, I've been kidnapped on three different occasions, one of which almost got me raped, and people have been trying to kill me ever since I left Virbank City. So forgive me if I'm a little on edge. What's YOUR excuse?" I snapped, marching towards him without fear. I stood as tall as I could, standing on my tip toes, and got in his face, glaring. Cory glared back and we stayed in uneasy silence after awhile. Finally, Cory sighed and raised his hand, poking my forehead with his index finger and pushing until I was standing on my feet.

"Sorry. Geez, you've had it rough. And you thought _I_ gave you hell in school." He said. I snickered as I walked back to Lola, picking her up and cuddling her.

"Yeah, compared to this I'd prefer your schoolyard smackdowns." I quipped. Cory snorted and turned away, looking at his Scolipede who stared intently at the forest. Thorn did not move as he concentrated on something in the trees, and soon Lola was joining him. She growled low in her throat and curled around my arms while Thorn moved closer to Cory.

'_We should get into the cave. I smell something that is a LOT like Team Plasma, but strangely something else too._' Lola said. I nodded and stood up, slowly creeping towards the cave.

"Cory, Thorn, Lola wants us to go in the cave, she smells Team Plasma and some other creature out there." I whispered. Cory nodded as he leapt back onto Thorn's back, and the massive bug pokemon walked in reverse, never taking his eyes off the forest. Without warning, Thorn roared and launched a Venoshock in the trees, turning around and running for the cave. Cory leaned towards me and held his hand out, and I grabbed it and let him throw me onto his pokemon while I held onto Lola tightly with one arm.

As we made it into the cave, I heard voices shout at us to stop. There were other voices that barked commands to capture us, and I wasn't keen on letting that happen. I adjusted myself on Thorn so that I was mounted backwards, my back against Cory's and held Lola tightly while she fired her Dragon Pulse balls at Team Plasma. I had to hand it to Cory, he knew how to train a fast pokemon. No matter what they threw at us Thorn was able to dodge skillfully, or flat outrun it. But our luck wasn't going to last forever. Since they couldn't hit us, the grunts did the next best thing. They fired their attacks at the ceiling, and rocks and stalactites came crashing down.

"Oh my god, they ARE trying to kill you!" Cory said in a panicked voice. Thinking quickly, I recalled Lola and landed roughly while Cory recalled Thorn, and we both took out another pokeball.

"Sarah, Protect!"

"Crasher, Iron Defense!" Cory and I yelled. Our pokemon appeared in a flash of light, and they quickly ran over to us while Cory and I dove underneath them. I curled up under Sarah as tightly as I could as her shell bounced on me over and over, withstanding the onslaught of rocks. I closed my eyes tightly and prayed to whoever could hear me to let Sarah be strong enough to protect us both, and it was all I could do to not cry as the world crashed around me.

When everything quieted down, I tried to uncurl, but everywhere I moved I felt rocks. I shook for a minute, scared about being buried alive, but Sarah started to glow softly, and her shell scraped against me as she pounded the wall of rocks in front of us. Little by little, the stones gave way, and soon I was able to crawl out from under Sarah, standing up in a pitch black room. I turned around and felt for my pokemon until my hand rested on her shell, and I collapsed on top of her, kissing and nuzzling Sarah's shell while I drowned her in gratitude for saving my life. Sarah made strange, gargling sounds that I could only guess were her attempts to comfort me, and in a few minutes I managed to compose myself.

"Cory?" I yelled, trying to find my rival. Even the soft glow of Sarah's Zen Headbutt wasn't enough to give me the light I needed, and it was too risky to try a Dragonbreath when I didn't know where Cory was. I was tempted to call out Sorrel, but I didn't know how big the space was and decided not to risk potentially crushing him, and me, in a small room. Suddenly, I heard a rumbling, and made to hide under Sarah again in case more rocks started to fall, but my fears were unfounded as a small explosion sounded. Some of the rocks banged against me, but I didn't care once I heard the sound of stone scraping stone and someone dusting themselves off.

"Vixy? You okay?" I heard Cory's voice ring out. I heaved a huge sigh of relief as I stood up, reaching out a hand and groping blindly in the dark.

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm trying to find you, grab my hand if you can." I said. We heard the soft popping sounds of our hands "clapping" while we tried to find each other, and after awhile, we managed to get ahold of each other. I clung to Cory's hand for dear life as I tried to make out anything in the darkness of the cave, and I flew into him when I felt something strange brush against me.

"ACK!" I yelped.

"Easy, it's just Crasher, my Boldore." Cory said gruffly, pushing me off him but still keeping our hands locked. We stood in awkward silence for a moment until I remembered something, shifting my bag.

"Crasher, can you come here?" I asked. Cory made a confused noise as the Boldore wedged itself between us, and I let go of Cory's hand to rest it on him.

"What are you doing?" Cory asked.

"Our Lanterns! Get yours out Cory. We'll use your Boldore as a guide to turn them on." I said. Cory made a shocked noise as a soft padding sound came from in front of me, and I assumed he had sat down to look through his own bag. After a bit of digging, I pulled out my Shinx figure and turned it so that I could feel its tail was facing away from me, and I scooted it along my arm. I felt something bump it, and after a minute of trying to position them correctly, we lined up the tails, and the cave was filled with light.

I was right not to call out Sorrel. Team Plasma had attacked the ceiling enough that rubble lined the entire cave, leaving only a narrow walkway that was barely big enough for us and our pokemon. The entrance to the cave was blocked, and the only way to go was further down. With very little choice, I grabbed Sarah's pokeball from my belt, holding up my end of the lantern with my other arm, and recalled her, putting her pokeball back and grabbing Zorua's. The Sorrel appeared in front of us, bewildered of his surroundings, and he glared at me while Cory recalled his Boldore, calling out Wotter in its place.

"Zorua, don't give me that look. We really need your help now, so will you please just come over here and keep an eye out?" I asked, a hint of pleading leaking into my voice. Zorua snorted for a moment before he leapt up, turning back to normal and climbing up my body until he sat on top of my head. Cory gave me a wicked grin, as though he wanted to make fun of me, but one nasty look was all it took to keep his mouth closed, and we started walking.

I don't know how long we were in there, wandering in the dark except for our Shinx figures, but it felt like forever and I was getting more and more uneasy with every step. I could tell Cory was too, because he didn't complain when I started to slow down from nervousness. Even Zorua didn't try anything and was almost seeking comfort from me.

"Am I the only one feeling like we shouldn't be here?" Cory asked. I gulped and clutched my Shinx figure tightly in my hand, reaching up to pet Zorua with my other.

"Nope. I don't like this, we need to get out." I said. Cory nodded silently as we continued to wander the cave, which started to open up now and would allow us to call on our bigger pokemon if we needed. As we stepped farther, I suddenly stopped and held Cory back while Zorua whined. Wotter grabbed his Scalchops and stood in front of us protectively, and I got closer to Cory.

"What is it?" Cory asked. I pointed forward with a shaky hand.

"L-look." I said. He looked in the direction I pointed and paled when we saw a pair of eyes. They were neither human, nor friendly, and I shook in fear as they assessed me, as if considering how to go about killing me. Cory was just as scared, I could tell, and he gritted his teeth as I walked forward, bowing to the eyes but still keeping my arm elevated to keep the lantern lit.

"H-hello there. My name is Vi-"

"ONNNNNNNN!" It roared, and I squeaked, retreating back and allowing my arm to slip, plunging us into darkness. Cory and I didn't have time to try to find each other again as the pokemon loudly stomped towards us, but my neck flashed as Lola appeared. The flash was only brief, giving me a small glance of the blue pokemon charging towards us, but it all Lola needed to snarl. I heard something thud and skid, followed by Lola roaring and snarling while Zorua tumbled off my head, retreating into my arms instead as a strange voice entered my mind with a boom.

'_WHY DID YOU DESTROY MY HOME!?'_ The voice said as I fell to my knees, crying out in pain. Lola growled again, joined by Wotter while a hand found its way to my back, and I assumed it was Cory.

"We didn't mean any harm! Please, let us explain ourselves!" I begged. The three pokemon continued to growl while Zorua quaked in my arms, sobbing silently. I did my best to comfort him as the growling quieted down, and something brushed against my legs. I reached out and felt scaly hide, and it started to warble, and I recognized Lola's voice. I stretched my arm further up her body until I felt her down, and I curled my fingers in it, drawing comfort while the voice from before returned, albeit softer.

'_I suppose I cannot say I stand for justice when I am not willing to hear both sides of the story. Very well human, explain yourself, but choose your words carefully or you will be destroyed._' It said while Lola snorted in amusement.

'_Over my dead body, you overgrown Stantler._' Lola said in an annoyed tone. The pokemon growled in response, and I whimpered, but I felt Cory's hand bunch up my jacket in his fist.

"Get ahold of yourself. If you're gonna talk to it then talk to it, just don't say anything to get us killed, you idiot." He growled. I wanted to punch him, but I had something more important to do, and in a way he was encouraging me so I could forgive him.

"We were just trying to get to Chargestone cave so we could get to Mistralton City and earn our next badge, but Team Plasma-" I started when the pokemon roared again.

'_Do not lie to me! Team Plasma is gone! Reshiram obliterated them some time ago!_' It yelled in my head, and I gritted my teeth against the pain.

"I'm NOT lying! And Reshiram didn't destroy Team Plasma, it and Carina defeated Zekrom and N and N DISBANDED Team Plasma, but they've regrouped and are at it again! And for some reason they are trying to kill me and anyone associated with me! We ran in here to try and escape them and they decided to blow up the cave to try and kill us! I don't know who you are and why you hate me so much, but please, I just want to get out of here and go to Mistralton City!" I said, screaming the last part as I tried to keep ahold of my sanity. Why was EVERYTHING trying to kill me? What did I do that pissed off so many people and pokemon? I was losing it, and Lola warbled and butted my hand with her head, trying her best to fill my mind with comforting thoughts and affection. I heard something stomp towards us, but it was not an aggressive stomp this time. A blue pillar of light emerged in front of us, and Cory and I gasped at the pokemon that stood before us. It looked down at us with stern eyes and tight lips, and I gulped as I bowed to it, smacking Cory until he followed my lead.

'_I am Cobalion, leader of the Swords of Justice and protector of pokemon._' It said with a mixture of pride and warning. I gulped and held Zorua out to Cory, who took the little fox while I petted Lola.

"I-I am Vixen, a trainer from Aspertia City and an Apprentice of the Elite 4." I replied, hoping to please it with the same amount of formality. Cobalion said nothing as it craned its neck until it was inches away from my face. Lola growled and leaned closer to me, and though Cobalion growled at her she did not move away. It ignored her and turned back to me. Angry, judgmental eyes met frightened, submissive ones, and after what seemed like forever, Cobalion snorted at me, raising his head.

'_Very well. Dry your tears and swallow your fear. If what you say is true, then you have nothing to fear from me. I will believe your story for now and as a show of faith, I will personally guide you to the place you call Mistralton City. Follow me._' It said, walking past us and waiting for us to stand up and follow. I gulped and tried to stand up, though my legs refused to cooperate while Cory uneasily got up, and I whimpered while I hugged Lola, who cooed at me to try and make me feel better.

'_Just relax Vixen, it's going to be alright._' Lola said softly, trying to reassure me.

'_Easy for you to say. Lola, that is the LEADER of the Swords of Justice! The incarnate of hatred against humans! It's just dying to skewer me with that horn, I just know it!'_' I said, gulping. Cobalion snorted and stomped its foot impatiently while Cory tried to grab my arm.

"Come on Vixen, get up!" He pleaded. Lola snapped at Cory to make him let go as she returned to comforting me.

'_It will have to get through me, Sorrel, Sarah, Zachary and Zorua first. It's especially screwed if Sorrel comes out here, Cobalion is weak to fire._' Lola said, grinning mischievously as she started for my belt. I pushed her head away when I realized what she was about to do, and I looked at Cobalion nervously.

"S-sorry, my legs are still recovering from my last near-death experience, may I ask one of my pokemon to help me?" I asked. Cobalion looked at me sternly before it nodded.

'_Fine, but it will carry you out of its own free will, you will not demand it._' It replied. I nodded and fumbled with the pokeballs only belt until I grabbed Zachary's, and I threw the ball. Unfortunately, he also turned into Sorrel and I gasped, fearing this would anger Cobalion, who indeed began to growl. Luckily, Zachary caught on quickly and flipped, returning to Zoroark form and growling at Cobalion while he stood in front of my protectively. Without taking his eyes off his enemy, Zachary backed up until he was next to me and picked me up gently, holding me against his chest while I hugged him tightly, burying my face in his fur. He started to purr, more to comfort me than anything, as he started forward.

I couldn't see anything because Zachary held my face against his chest, but I knew what was going on thanks to Lola. Cobalion was leading us back to the entrance of Mistralton Cave. Lola, Wotter and Zachary had taken up guard positions, standing between us and Cobalion. Lola was directly behind Cobalion, with Wotter behind her, and Zachary brought up the rear, holding me in his arms while Cory and Zorua clung to his back. Lola said Cobalion seemed confused, but when I managed to peel my face off Zachary's fur, I couldn't see any sort of distress in Cobalion's stoic expression. Even when it swung its sword to clear away rubble, it remained impassive. I gulped audibly as I looked up at Cory, who seemed just as freaked out as I was.

"Vixen…what's it going to do to us?" He whispered.

"I don't know. Lola says that she and the rest of the pokemon won't allow it to hurt us…" I said uneasily.

"But Vixen, that's _COBALION,_ the top dog of the Musketeers! It eats people like us for breakfast!" He continued, becoming more and more frantic.

'_Actually, I prefer Pecha berries. Though I don't mind the occasional carrion._' Cobalion said, making me shudder. Cory looked confused and he gave me a funny look.

"Huh?" He asked.

"Basically it said it eats dead things." I translated.

"Ew." He said quietly. Cobalion made a strange sound that resembled a chuckle an awful lot, but it made no other interactions with us as it continued to clear away rubble, and Zachary tightened his grip on me, murmuring in my ear.

'_Don't worry Vixen, we'll protect you, and Zachary won't let you go until he's sure you're out of harms way._' Lola translated. I looked up at Zachary and gave him a warm smile, leaning against him again and letting out a shuddery breath. I was finally able to relax knowing that Cobalion really meant it when it said it would not hurt us, and I felt my legs coming back, though I had no intention of leaving Zachary's arms even as we came out of the cave. Cobalion continued to stomp proudly through Route 6, coming to a stop when we heard something behind us. Looking back, I saw Rood slowly trudge up to meet us, and he bowed low to Cobalion as Zachary put me and Cory down.

"Cobalion, what a pleasant, yet upsetting surprise." He said, sighing sadly. Cobalion tilted its head ever so slightly at Rood's choice of words, narrowing its eyes.

'_Why does my presence upset you?'_ It asked. Rood looked up suddenly and shook his head at the pokemon.

"You are a noble creature Cobalion, your presence in the open can only mean that there is trouble. I am saddened to realize that Ghetsis's ambition and malice has spread so much to affect you." He replied.

'_Who is Ghetsis?'_ Cobalion asked.

"He is the leader of Team Plasma, the one who seeks to control pokemon and use them to rule the world." He answered. Cobalion growled and started to glare at me, but this time I swallowed my fear and returned the gaze with a hardened one of my own.

"I don't know him anymore than you do, but I know enough to know he needs to be stopped, and I am going to goddamn do just that. If you want to kill me, fine, but wait until I'm done with him FIRST. It's in your best interest to let me go, since apparently my living is the only thing stopping him from going through with his plans. Seeing as how Team Plasma follows me everywhere I go and is constantly threatening my life." I said, staring at Cobalion defiantly. We stared at each other firmly, neither side backing down, while Rood and Cory looked on in astonishment. Finally, Cobalion broke first, grinning at me.

'_Very well, then I will entrust you with the task of stopping this, Ghetsis. I can see you are different from humans I am used to seeing, so I will allow you my assistance. I will still guide you through Chargestone Cave, but after that, I will take my leave. I will inform my companions of you and your quest, and instruct them to seek you out and help you when you need it._' It told me, holding its head high. I grinned at Cobalion and bowed while Cory and Rood followed suit. With my confidence back and my resolve hardened, I leapt onto Zachary's back, recalling Lola while Cory called out Thorn, still holding Zorua. Rood bid us goodbye as we followed Cobalion through Route 6. As we made our way into Chargestone cave, I gripped Zachary's mane tightly as I tried to quell my excitement about earning not only the trust of one of THE most dangerous pokemon in the region, but it's support as well. So now I have the Gym Leaders, the Elite 4, BOTH Champions, The Hero of Truth, Reshiram, and the Musketeers on my side. This only meant one thing.

Team Plasma just got screwed.

TBC

TWO near-death experiences in one chapter? What blasphemy is this? And geez, Vixen's got herself a little army here XD It makes the army you get in Black and White look like a little girl's tea party. And I'm not exaggerating at all here. You really DO get all that support in Black/White 2, though you get it indirectly from the pokemon league. You can encounter Marshal at Twist Mountain and Alder in Floccesy, and Iris in Castelia, but the rest of the league is like "Meh, you got this". Lazy bastards.

So if you hadn't noticed, there was a poll on my profile. After doing a LOT of thinking, I've decided that I am going to bite the bullet and I am bumping up Vixen's age. She is now 15 instead of 10. The poll was asking if she should get bumped up and by how much, and people voted for her going up 5 years. There are many reasons why I am doing this:

1. She is acting a LOT like a clever teen, she's wise beyond her years even at 15, at 10 she's a genius. I will not have a 10-year-old genius in my underdog story. She's matured even more than I thought she would when I first stated I WASN'T going to change her age.

2. Her attitude is more like a hormonal mid-teen girl than a prepubescent. You could fit this with 1 if you wanted.

3. I intend on pairing her up, even though I promised myself I wouldn't. It won't turn into a romance story, but there will be some lovin.


	38. Chapter 37: Different Interpretations

All were silent as Cobalion walked through Chargestone Cave, Zachary and Thorn following at a fair distance. The wild pokemon of the cavern popped out from every nook and cranny to see the odd spectacle of Cobalion, the head of the Musketeers, leading humans who rode on pokemon through the cave. While they chattered, I was fairly certain they were questioning why Cobalion would help us rather than kill us or leave us to our fate, and I myself was still a little confused, but I decided to ignore it and enjoy my surroundings.

Electricity crackled and hummed constantly in the caves, dying the walls a soft blue. Large rocks floated in the air, and I reached out to poke one, feeling a small zap in my fingers. I giggled at the tingling sensation, and silently challenged Cory to try it. I could almost feel Cobalion's exasperation as we tortured ourselves with the electricity-filled rocks.

'_You humans are very easily amused._' Cobalion said. I snickered and grinned at it.

"I certainly won't deny it. After all the chaos it's nice to just relax and be stupid for a little bit." I said. Cobalion snorted, as though it wanted to say something nasty, but thought better of it and refused to walk through the door I basically opened for it. When Cobalion went back to ignoring us, I turned to look at Cory, and saw him playing with Zorua now, who cuddled him in the same way Zachary used to cuddle me when he was still a Zorua. I smiled as I grabbed Zorua's pokeball from my belt, nudging Zachary's side gently until he was right next to Thorn while I leaned towards Zorua, who gave me a blissful though annoyed look.

"Zorua, you don't like me at all, do you?" I asked it. Zorua's eyes narrowed at me as he growled, as though he were saying 'no shit Shirlock.' Cory snickered as he patted the tuft on Zorua's head, and I couldn't help but snicker myself.

"Would you like to be Cory's pokemon instead?" I asked. Cobalion stopped and watched the scene unfold as Zorua's face lit up. He struggled in Cory's grip and looked at me with hopeful eyes, whimpering. I chuckled and turned to Cory, holding out Zorua's pokeball to him while he cocked a brow at me.

"What are you doing?" He asked incredulously, staring at the outstretched hand. I smiled and continued to hold out the ball.

"That Zorua has made it very clear from the moment Rood gave him to me that he does NOT like me at all, yet he's pretty much your number 1 fan. Rood asked me to show him how kind trainers can help pokemon. It's not very nice to make him stay with someone he obviously doesn't like, I figure the kindest thing I can do for him is let him be with someone he really wants to be with, and it looks like that's you." I explained. Cory looked at me with suspicious eyes, but he took the pokeball after a few minutes, grunting his appreciation at me as he recalled his new pokemon, and Zachary smiled approvingly at me, moving away from Thorn and looking at Cobalion expectantly. The pokemon seemed intrigued by what had just occurred, and I waved it away with a smile.

"Ready when you are." I told it. Cobalion blinked before it turned its head back to the path in front of it and started walking again. I grinned as Zachary and Thorn started forward again, and I heard Cory clear his throat, trying to get my attention.

"Thanks, for the Zorua I mean. Did you give him a name?" He asked. I shook my head at him and leaned down on Zachary, yawning.

"No, he bit me every time I suggested one. You are free to name him." I replied. Cory smirked as he looked down one of the caverns, and he turned back to Cobalion's back.

"Hey, Cobalion, mind if I stay behind? I need to do some training." He asked. I glared at him from Zachary's back as the pokemon turned to look at Cory. Cobalion made a sort of humming sound before it snorted, nodding.

'_Fine, but do not bully the pokemon or there will be hell to pay._' It warned. Cory nodded and gave the pokemon a salute, turning to me with a wicked grin.

"Have fun, Vixy." He said as Thorn trotted down the side cave.

"Fuck you, Cory." I called after him. I heard his mocking laugh echo through the cavern and I sighed, hugging my Zoroark while Cobalion gave me an odd look.

'_You sound unhappy that you are being left alone with me and your pokemon._' It said, narrowing its eyes. I met them with a fierce look of my own while I clutched Zachary's fur in my hands.

"Just you, actually. Zachary isn't known for killing humans that look at him funny." I replied. Cobalion's eyes softened for a moment before it turned back to the path, trudging along.

'_That is not how we operate. Humans kill for sport. We kill to protect._' It told me. I snorted and ducked behind Zachary, who reared up and started walking on his back legs to shield me.

"Yeah, because a lost child is TOTALLY a gigantic threat." I replied. Cobalion snorted and turned to glare at me, stomping its foot.

'_I let you go! I'm leading you through Chargestone Cave aren't I!?'_ It said indignantly. My glare only intensified as I clutched Zachary's fur.

"I was talking about the little girl who was killed by Terrakion on Route 10 a couple years ago." I replied. Cobalion's rage was forgotten as it walked up to me and Zachary, making my Zoroark growl softly and flex his claws. Cobalion said something to Zachary in its speaking voice before it raised its head up to look at me.

'_Terrakion was not directly responsible for the child's death. The priority of the Swords of Justice is, and always has been, the well-being of pokemon. Terrakion's duty called for the safe evacuation of the resident pokemon. To us, a Durant in its prime is far more important than a weak human child. IF there was time, Terrakion would have saved the child, but there was not. Do not blame us for YOUR mistakes, HUMANS caused the disaster that destroyed Route 10 and most of Victory Road, thus humans caused her death._' It explained, its breathing slow and rattled, as though Cobalion was a father trying to hold his temper while he explained why you shouldn't have drawn on his brand new car with a permanent marker. We stared at each other for a few moments, but I turned away first, feeling guilty.

"Arceus, I almost played right into Team Plasma's hands. They tried to do that awhile ago too, turn people against pokemon that is." I said. Cobalion cocked its brows and tilted its head at me.

'_Oh?'_ It said. I nodded and sat up straighter, rubbing Zachary's neck until he relaxed back onto all fours.

"Team Plasma attacked the boat I was on to get to Castelia City, and to protect everyone my master had everyone abandon ship, but some of the trainers went missing along with their pokemon. The guy who interviewed him on what happened kept asking Master questions that implied the wild pokemon might have hurt the trainers, or otherwise let them die." I said, looking back at Cobalion. it said nothing as it turned back to the path, making its way towards it.

'_For some reason, only we, the Swords of Justice would do that. Other pokemon have not given up on humans, and some outright refuse to, willingly allowing themselves to be snatched away by the humans and made to fight._' It told me.

"But isn't that what you do anyway? Lola told me that pokemon fight all the time, and that most prefer battling under the command of humans because we know when to stop. Most of the time anyway." I said, quickly adding the last part. Without turning around, Cobalion took a deep breath.

'_I have seen humans fight before. It is neither natural nor beneficial. The hatred you humans carry consumes everything and destroys countless lives, both your own and those of pokemon._' it told me, but I gritted my teeth.

"I refuse to believe that. It sounds like the last fight you saw involving humans was the war that happened a long, long time ago. I know you are angry, Cobalion, but we humans have one thing you do not." I said proudly, and Cobalion stopped dead in its tracks, turning its head slightly.

'_Okay, I'll humor you. What's that?'_ It asked with sarcasm oozing out of its voice. I puffed out my chest and raised myself up on Zachary in pride.

"We have the ability to forgive, and be reasonable. You are holding a grudge against people who have been dead for hundreds of years, and you are taking it out on their descendants, who have nothing to do with what happened beyond having a small drop of the fighters blood in their veins. You call yourselves the Swords of Justice, but where is the justice in that? If Ho-oh decides to come down from the clouds and burn everything to the ground, then do you go after Lugia just because it HAPPENS to be closely related to Ho-oh?" I asked. Cobalion glared at me as it continued walking forward, and it turned its head as the bright light of the outside world filled the cavern.

'_You are strange, human. Very strange. The place you call Mistralton City is just beyond that opening. We will meet again._' It said as it started to turn away.

"Why? You going to kill me for speaking so violently against you?" I asked. Cobalion snorted as it stopped.

'_I do not go back on my word. That's a human trait. I am going to consider your words as I instruct the rest of my team. Regardless of how we feel towards humans, we will be at your assistance as we have a common goal._' It replied.

"Why? First you wanted to kill me, then you wanted to help me, then you sounded like you wanted to kill me again, and now you want to help me still. Why won't you make up your mind?" I asked, frustrated.

'_Because you and your pokemon go against everything I know of humans. Maybe you are right, maybe humans are different despite looking the same. Maybe you are wrong, and every human has evil lurking deep in their hearts. I need to think on it, but I must do what I have always done: put the best interests of pokemon above everything else. Farewell, human._' It said, disappearing into the cave. I frowned at the direction it had gone, and shook my head slowly, unable to understand what was going through the pokemons mind. I didn't dwell on it though, and gently nudged Zachary until he padded in the direction of the exit. We had something important to do before we got too involved with what's happening with Team Plasma.

It is time to earn my next badge.

TBC

Guess what everyone? I now have a Discussion Room for Lola: An Underdog Story! Swing by and chat with fellow fans and myself! You can ask questions, make suggestions, and speculate on certain parts of the plot! Just remember to be nice to each other, but if you don't like spoilers, wait until you're caught up in the story. The room is at the web address LolaAndVixen dot Chatango dot com.

This was a short chapter, I'm sorry. It was a strange one though. I'm all over the place with the Musketeers aren't I? Speaking of which, leemie clear up any confusion you have.

You've probably noticed by now I interchange the terms "Musketeers" and "Swords of Justice" a lot in the story. That would be a result of the pokemon/human language barrier and Cobalion and its posse really not giving a crap about humans. For the pokemon, the proper term is Swords of Justice, but in the human speaking world, children are taught to call them the Musketeers when they go over their legend in school. I did that to give the story a bit of a dynamic, like, two different cultures you know?

And congrats, fans of Lola! By my decree, Lola is now canon in the world of VictorySeekers, my RP site! I'm going to use Affinities on the site to help people who want to specialize in a certain type *among other things*. Isn't that awesome? :3


	39. Chapter 38: Priorities

Upon leaving the cave, Zachary and I had to take a second to let our eyes adjust to the bright light that suddenly bombarded us. I heard my Zoroark hiss slightly in pain, and I rubbed his back through his mane gently while my own eyes burned, but slowly and surely, we recovered our vision. The scene before us was quite beautiful, by my definition anyway.

Big, fluffy clouds floated gently in the big blue sky above us. On the ground, there were trees EVERYWHERE, and giant puddles of water that were hard for me to resist jumping in. There were some buildings scattered here and there, but for the most part the city looked totally natural if you ignored the giant freaking airport on the west side of town, taking up an entire half of it. People walked around, frequently entering and exiting buildings, and walked with an air of calm cheerfulness.

All in all, this was MY kind of town, and I dismounted Zachary to savor the soft ground with my own two feet. I closed my eyes and and took a deep breath, savoring the taste of the woods with only a minor hint of jet fuel, and I heard someone chuckle, growing closer. I cracked open an eye and saw a tall woman with the weirdest hairstyle that made me think briefly of a Vanillite. She wore a large labcoat, like what Colress wore, over a simple outfit consisting of a white shirt and a green skirt. I blinked several times as she walked over to me with a big smile.

"Hello there! You look like you are enjoying yourself. I'm glad to finally meet you." She said in a warm bubbly voice. I continued blinking at the strange woman while she smiled, and was thoroughly confused.

"I'm sorry, but, who are you?" I asked, tilting my head while Zachary did the same. The woman's smile never faltered as she carefully looked me over.

"My name is Professor Juniper. I'm the one in charge of the pokedex project, and the one who approved your application when you first signed on with your Deino. May I take a look at your pokedex please?" She asked. My jaw dropped as she stretched out her hand, waiting patiently. Saying nothing, I reached into the pocket on the strap on my bag and pulled out the requested device, handing it over to the pokemon professor as she pushed a few buttons.

"Wow you've seen a lot of pokemon, but you haven't caught nearly as many. You having a hard time catching pokemon dear?" She asked. I snapped out of my stupor and shook my head, smiling as I put a hand on Zachary's back.

"No it's not that, I'm just kinda concentrating on getting strong for the league. I'm really sorry." I said, hanging my head in shame. Instead of the scolding I expected, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I looked up to see Juniper smiling at me.

"Don't be, everyone has their own way of doing things. The fact that you are seeing so many pokemon and getting encounter data is helpful in and of itself. Besides, you're having fun aren't you?" She asked. I smiled back and nodded at her before responding.

"Yeah, I am having fun, a lot of fun." When I'm not running for my life anyway, but that's beside the point.

"That's the most important thing. It kinda defeats the purpose of going on a journey if you don't enjoy it, right?" She asked me, handing my pokedex back to me. I smiled and packed it away, nodding slowly at her.

"Yeah, you're right. So, what brings you here Professor?" I asked, tilting my head at her. She smiled and turned around, pointing at a large object in the distance.

"I'm doing a little research on that. It's called the Celestial Tower, where departed pokemon are buried. At the top is a large bell that is said to reflect the soul of whoever rings it. There are also legends about it calming the restless spirits of the departed. I want to see how much of that I can verify." She said proudly yet warmly. I smiled as I stared at the distant tower, and I couldn't help but sniffle a little bit as I fingered the pokeball on my neck. Zachary took notice and whined, settling down on all fours and bumping me with his head. I chuckled and encircled the fluffy neck, rubbing my face in his purple mane. When I composed myself, I stood up straighter and faced the woman with a soft smile.

"Can I come with you? There's someone I want to see." I asked. Professor Juniper smiled at me as she watched me pet my Zoroark. She opened her mouth to respond, but then her eyes drifted downwards. She chuckled as she pointed to the runway beside us.

"Why don't you go get your badge first and meet me there? I'm sure that by the time you are done, I'll get all the boring stuff out of the way. Then we can relax and explore the tower, not to mention ring its iconic bell." She told me. I smiled at her and nodded.

"Alright. I'll see you there then." I replied. Professor Juniper smiled once more at me before she bid me goodbye, turning around and walking away. I took a deep breath as I turned to Zachary, thanking him for working so hard and recalling him into his pokeball. Then I took off the pokeball from my neck and called out Lola, who flexed her claws on the path, noting its softness.

'_Are you alright?_' She asked, tilting her head at me. I smiled and gave her horn a pet before I started towards the runway, looking for an entrance.

"I'm fine, but let's hurry and get this badge Lola. There's something important we have to do after." I told her. Lola hummed as she followed me, rubbing my hip with her head gently as we walked.

'_I'd ask you what, but you'll tell me when it's important.'_ She replied. I couldn't help but smile at that, and rewarded her trust with loving thoughts, making her croon. As we circled the fence, I kept looking around for any sort of break, but got confused. I sighed as I thought about where I was supposed to go when Lola barked at something, and I turned around to see Colress approaching, his usual smile warmer than normal for some strange reason. I tilted my head at him as he strode up next to me, writing something on his tablet.

"Um, hello Colress. What's with the creepy smile?" I asked. He blinked slowly, but made no other reactions to my question as he tapped away. Lola started growling, her suspicions growing, until he finally turned to me.

"Hm? I'm sorry. I saw you get thrown into the water in Driftveil, and I am immensely relieved to see you are alright." He responded. I narrowed my eyes at him as I recalled that incident, suddenly putting two and two together.

"Was that YOUR Magnezone that saved me?" I asked. His smile never faltered as he nodded at me, clearing his throat.

"Indeed. You are a fascinating trainer, Vixen. It would be a shame to lose such a talented specimen, especially in THAT method. Drowning is such a terrible way to go, especially for one so young." He replied. I narrowed my eyes at him and clenched my fist.

"I'm 15." I responded, my voice oozing with venom. He didn't even flinch as he chuckled at me.

"And I'm 20. I'm not old enough to die any more than you are. There is so much for me to learn, I'd be ashamed to die before I have had a chance to learn what I wanted." He told me. I sighed as Lola rubbed her head on my hand, allowing me to scratch her down.

"Well, thanks for saving us anyway. I'm sure the Dragonair appreciated it too." I said. He just continued to smile as he turned to the fence, starting alongside it.

"You are wanting the gym, yes? Come, I'll show you the way. It can be tricky to find the entrance, as there is usually a plane in front of it." He explained. Without a better idea, Lola and I resigned ourselves to follow him, and allowed Colress to lead us to the gym, an old-looking hangar with the Pokemon League symbol mounted high on the wall, a cool bluish-grey giving me a hint about the types inside.

As I started towards the entrance, I noticed Colress wasn't with me. I turned around to see him staring at me uncomfortably. I sighed as I crossed my arms, tilting my head at him. Lola continued forward and went inside the gym, knowing I was somewhat safe with Colress.

"Okay, NOW what's the problem?" I asked. The corners of his mouth twitched as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box.

"Well, this gym isn't exactly…the friendliest. I would like to record your gym battle, but, I'm not entirely thrilled with the idea of getting blown around." He told me. I frowned in confusion at his statement.

"What do you mean, 'getting blown around'? What do you know Colress?" I asked. As he opened his mouth to reply, we heard a scream from inside the gym.

"DEINOOOO!" Lola yelled as she literally came flying out of the building. I moved to intercept her, catching her as we fell backwards. I felt a pair of arms grab mine and grip them firmly while I tried to find my balance. Colress let go when I managed to get my feet under me, and I cuddled Lola tightly as she whimpered.

'_That was so scary! I walked in and then I felt a lot of wind rush out and I spun around and I was scared! _' She cried in my head. I clenched my teeth as I fought the oncoming headache from her mental shouting, and I did my best to console her.

"Easy Lola, easy it's alright. You're okay now." I cooed softly as I pet the crying dragon. Colress stepped in front of me and held out his arms a little bit.

"Let me see her, I can help." He said softly. I nodded and carefully passed Lola to him, and he flared his labcoat, kneeling down as he held Lola with one arm. He reached into his pocket with the other and pulled out something I did not recognize and offered it to her. Lola sniffed his hand and ate quietly as her crying slowed, and I knelt down beside them, petting her back slowly as she composed herself, physically and mentally.

"Are you feeling better?" I asked her. She warbled softly as she craned her neck, butting my shoulder with her nose.

'_A lot better. Thank you both. Ask Colress what that was for me, it was really tasty._' She replied, making me chuckle. I looked up at Colress as he put a hand on Lola's chest, looking at his watch to check her pulse.

"Thank you so much. What did you feed her anyway? I hope it wasn't a sedative, I'd like to use her in my Gym Battle." I said. He snickered as he put his arm down, giving Lola one last pat before he let her back down and stood up.

"No no, nothing like that. I wouldn't want to interfere with my own test subject. All it was, was a bit of dried meat. There is a lot of research showing that Dragon Type pokemon can be calmed by offering something that is both chewy and flavorful, such as jerky." He explained. Lola warbled as she stood up, stretching her neck and rubbing her head on Colress' knee, who reached down to pet her softly. I grinned at the two as I stood up myself.

"Well thanks so much, she was quite beside herself. What WAS that?" I asked, looking back at the door. Colress sighed and pulled out the box from before, pulling out a folded up headset.

"That was Skyla's sense of generosity. She is very much in love with the thought of flying, and 'shares' it with her challengers. She used to have quite a few cannons that people had to climb in and get shot out of to 'fly' through the gym." He explained as he played with the headset. I stared at him in disbelief, feeling my heart leap into my throat.

"So, what is it now?" I asked tentatively. He didn't look up from what he was doing when he answered me.

"I've read that her gym was closed down by the Pokemon League because of the health risk of the cannons. So she got rid of them and reformatted her gym. The cannons were replaced by large fans. I'm not sure how much safer those are, but she did at least install some steel walls people can hide behind when the fans pick up speed. But then there is the matter of GETTING to those safe zones in time." He said as he handed the headset to me. I blinked slowly as I took the device from his hands, turning it over as I looked at it.

"So, it's a giant deathtrap?" I asked, seeing a large lens on the headset. I heard Colress chuckle softly at my question as he stepped closer to me.

"Pretty much. I would like you to wear that and record your battle for me, but I will not fault you at all if you change your mind and pursue a different gym. I will not lie, even I am afraid of this gym." He said. I looked up at him and smiled as I put on the headset, adjusting it until it fit snugly on me.

"Trust me, after everything I've been through, I think I can handle a little flying." I replied.

'_We're going back?_' Lola asked fearfully. Colress smiled as he reached up to adjust the headset on me, making sure it would function properly without causing discomfort.

"Alright then, but know I will be watching you from out here. I commend you for your bravery, but do not be afraid to call for help when you need it. Skyla's pokemon are strong fliers, if you get stuck they will rescue you." He soft warmly. I smiled as I put a hand on Lola's head, clutching the fluffy horn tightly.

'_We're going back?_' Lola asked again.

"Thank you. I promise I won't let your device get hurt, and I'll bring back an epic battle for you." I said with a mock salute. He chuckled as he walked towards a bench, pulling out a laptop.

"See that you do." He replied with mock-authority, playing into the joke. I laughed as I turned to the gym and started walking towards it.

'_We're going back?_' Lola asked once more, and I snorted in response. Mindful of the possibility of a speaker in the recording headset, I chose to go through the backdoor and talk to her telepathically instead.

'_Yes! We are going back. If you want you can stay in the pokeball and __**I**__ will get us to the Gym Leader, but we need this badge_' I replied. Lola whined as we went into the breezy building.

'_No, I'll stay with you. I'm scared, but I love you more than I'm scared of this place._' She replied. I smiled and leaned down, hugging Lola.

"Let's do this Lola." I said proudly.

"Deino!" She cried. We charged forward through lobby of the Gym. Clyde warned us of the giant fans before he opened up the gate to let us inside.

6th Badge, we're coming for you!

TBC

Sorry I'm so late with this. I've had some emotional problems over the last few days. Just haven't been able to do anything right you know? I'll be okay though, I'm better than I was yesterday XD.

So there was a lot in this chapter. In fact, there was so much in this chapter, I actually had to break it or else it'd be way too big, or I'd have to Bullshit the end. I really don't want to do that again to you guys. Don't worry, next chapter will have every detail, and it won't be hindered by a multi-layered plot. You'll see what I mean.

So all it took to get Lola to like Colress was a little bit of beef jerky. Go figure XD


	40. Chapter 39: The Jet Badge

"This isn't so bad." I said as I stepped onto the wiry floor. Looking below the grid-like floor, I could see many planes bunkered beneath my feet, and I couldn't help but gulp as I registered just how big the fall would be if I slipped off the floor.

'_You know, Colress DID say something about there not being any shame if I turned back and chose a different gym._' I said to Lola as she crawled over to me while the manmade wind blew.

'_Vixen, you got us into this, you are going to see us through. Come on, I have an idea._' She told me, helping me up.

'_What are you thinking?_' I asked her. She only grinned and warbled as we walked to the first wall.

'_You'll see._' She replied. Without any sort of clue, I resigned myself to just trust Lola to know what she was doing as we huddled behind the barrier while it rattled against the wind of the giant fans. When the wind stopped, we rushed out from behind the barrier and ran across the floor to the next one, hunkering down when it started up again.

We continued our way through the gym, somehow timing it perfectly every time, but then there was the final stretch. There were 4 different paths, I didn't have a clue on which one to take, and the wind was starting to pick up. If I didn't move soon, I would go flying. We started moving towards the shelter, but it was too late. The wind picked up and I felt my legs slide out from under me.

"Lola!" I yelled as I started sliding. I heard her yelp as she too, began moving, only she tried to assist the wind to get to me.

'_Grab on!' _She cried. I latched onto her and held on for dear life as she gripped the gaps in the floor with her tiny claws, slamming her head down and gripping it with her teeth as the wind blew wildly against us. I clung to Lola's body while she clung to the floor, and I heard something buzzing in my ear, but I didn't dare let go to see what was wrong with the headset. Not that I needed to, for soon Colress' voice flooded my ear.

"_There's something wrong with the fans, they should not be going this long! Hold on Vixen I'm coming._" I heard him yell. I gritted my teeth as I held onto Lola tightly with one arm, grabbing a pokeball with my other.

"NO! Don't get in the way Colress! We're too far to give up on this gym now! We'll be okay! Sarah! Help us finish the last leg!" I said, finishing the last part by calling out my Shelgon. Sarah emerged from the pokeball and slammed onto the floor in front of us, surprised by the blasting wind as she dug her own legs into the floor. She then crawled to us and roared, turning around.

'_She said to grab the back opening in the shell! Hold onto my tail too, we'll pull you forward!' _Lola told me. I put Sarah's pokeball away and did as she instructed, reaching out and grabbing the edge of the back of her shell with one hand while the other clasped Lola's stubby tail.

"Sarah! I think it's the path in front of us! You and Lola pull us that way!" I yelled. Both dragons roared as they started crawling in the direction I suggested, and slowly but surely we made progress across the grate. Luckily, my intuition was spot on, and we were on the path that took us right to the platform where the Gym Leader would surely be waiting. Sure enough, I saw a red-headed country girl standing on the edge of the platform looking at the fan. When she turned around she saw us struggling and immediately panicked. A large, multicolored pokemon appeared beside her, and I felt myself being lifted up by an unknown force. I yelped as me and Sarah began floating towards the platform, and I quickly scooped up Lola on the way over. When I touched the ground, I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up to find the red-headed woman smile apologetically at me.

"Don't move!" She yelled, standing up. Two more pokemon appeared, a silvery one and a white one, and the woman looked angrily at the fans.

"Skarmory, Swanna! Stop those fans with Air Cutter and Air Slash!" She yelled. Both pokemon squawked as they rapidly flapped their wings, firing visible slashes of wind at the two fans. They bombarded the fans without mercy, finally causing them to crackle and spark as they slowed, coming to a complete stop. The woman turned back to me as I stood up, having recovered from what had happened rather quickly.

"I'm really sorry about that, are you guys okay?" She asked. I grinned as Lola and Sarah shook themselves off, chirping at us to let us know they were fine.

"We're fine. Trust me, compared to what we've been through, that was pretty tame. I was more concerned I wouldn't get my battle than any danger I might have been in." I replied cheerfully.

"_Speak for yourself! I was scared to death!"_ I heard Colress say, making me roll my eyes while the woman simply laughed at us.

"I don't know if that's good or bad, but I accept your challenge. My name is Skyla, and I'm the Gym Leader." She said cheerfully.

"I'm Vixen, and this is my 6th badge." I replied. I heard Lola say something to Swanna, who nodded and looked up at Skyla, who looked like she wanted to say something but thought better of it.

"Alright well this is the last 3 on 3 battle for you then. It's gonna get tougher if you beat me. Badge 7 and 8 are 4 on 4. Think you'll be able to handle it?" She asked as she led me to the battlefield.

"I'm gonna have to get past you first. No sense worrying about the future when the present is happening now, right?" I asked. Skyla giggled as she pulled a lever, making the roof open up.

"Good attitude! I like you. As someone who wants to be your friend, I hope you win, but as a Gym Leader, I won't make it easy for you." She said as she took her spot.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I replied, making her grin. I adjusted the headset, making sure Colress would be able to see everything alright, as Clyde appeared on the sidelines.

"The limiter broke. I can fix it but we'll need to close the gym after this battle. I already locked the front door." He told Skyla.

"Alright then, let's get started. Badge 6 Clyde." Skyla chirped. Clyde nodded as he pulled out his flags.

"The battle between Gym Leader Skyla and the Challenger Vixen is about to get underway! Each trainer may use 3 pokemon but only the challenger is allowed substitutions. Call your pokemon!" He commanded as Lola padded onto the field. I smiled while Skyla tossed a pokeball, a large bat pokemon appearing. I pulled out my pokedex and scanned it while Clyde patiently waited.

"_Swoobat, the Courting Pokemon, and the evolved form of Woobat. Swoobat are capable of firing ultrasonic waves that make others glad, and will shower each other with them._" It said, making me smile.

"Aww, how cute. That's adorable." I said, making Skyla giggle.

"Thanks. It's a very sweet pokemon. I've had wild ones use those happy waves on me when I've been sad. Generous pokemon." She replied. I grinned widely at her as Clyde cleared his throat.

"Battle begin!" He called.

"Lola, use Dragon Pulse!" I commanded.

"Acrobatics Swoobat!" Skyla countered. Lola fired her purplish wispy breath weapon at Swoobat, but the pokemon effortlessly dodged out of the way and rushed towards her. It appeared in front of her and squeaked angrily, battling her with its leathery wings over and over.

"Lola, Crunch!" I called. Lola grabbed one of Swoobat's wings in her mouth and clamped down tightly, making the pokemon cry out in pain. She then threw it away from her and snarled, stamping her foot down on the ground.

"Alright, finish with Headbutt!" I cried. Lola roared as she rushed forward, slamming her skull into Swoobat's belly. The psychic pokemon gagged as it flew backwards, landing in front of Skyla in a daze.

"Swoobat is unable to continue, Deino wins!" Clyde announced. I grinned and crossed my arms while Lola huffed, and Skyla gave me a warm smile as she recalled her pokemon.

"That was a good strategy, most people just fling things at my pokemon. I haven't had anyone try to clip their wings yet." She praised. I returned the smile and relaxed, nodding at Skyla.

"It was something I learned from Elesa and her damn Emolga. I had to find SOME way to slow that little sucker down." I told her, making Skyla laugh.

"Oh man I hear ya. She's a monster with that Volt Switch. Anyway, let's continue. Skarmory, let's go!" She called, whistling for her pokemon. The large silver bird from before flew up from behind me and landed on the field in front of its trainer, staring at me with a fierce glint in its eye. I stretched my arms above my head and clenched my fist, ready to get back in the game. I thought about Skarmory's potential Steel type, and decided Lola was outmatched.

"Alright Lola, come back, you've done good." I said, recalling her into her pokeball. Sarah started to move towards the field, but I held out an arm in front of her while I grabbed another pokeball.

"No, we're gonna be smart about this. Stay back for now. Sorrel, let's go!" I yelled as my Typhlosion hit the field. Sorrel and Sarah exchanged happy greetings before I managed to get his attention, making him concentrate on the foe before us. Skyla snickered as she stared at my pokemon.

"Does Clay know that Typhlosion has his hat?" She asked, making me roll my eyes.

"Why does everyone ask that? Clay gave that to him for putting up a great fight in that gym battle. Let's show her how you earned it with Fire Pledge buddy!" I called. Sorrels eyes glowed as he stomped his foot on the ground. The columns of fire erupted and made their way to Skarmory, who unfolded its wings and flew away from the fire. Sorrel growled as he stomped again, making the attack follow Skarmory, but it was of little use because of how fast it was.

"You aren't gonna catch her with that! Skarmory, use Air Cutter!" Skyla yelled. Skarmory gave a fierce cry as it rushed towards Sorrel, flapping its wings hard to produce a blade of wind that knocked Sorrel off his feet. The fire badger struggled to get standing quickly, and he glared at the Skarmory as it soared around him.

"Sorrel, toss your hat over here and use Flame-" I started until I was interrupted by a screech.

"Skar!"

"That's right Skarmory, don't let them get the best of you, use Steel Wing!" Skyla commanded as Skarmory sped towards Sorrel. Before he could even reach up to remove his hat Skarmory plowed her wings into Sorrel's stomach, making my pokemon gag as he fell in front of me, giving me an apologetic look before passing out. Sarah whimpered while Clyde raised his flag.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle, Skarmory wins!" He called. I recalled Sorrel into his pokeball and hugged the capsule tightly before I turned to Sarah, who was absolutely livid.

"Get'em Sarah." I told her. The Shelgon snorted and lumbered in front of me, glaring at Skarmory fiercely. Skarmory returned the look with a proud one of her own, as if she were amused.

"Fury Attack!" Skyla commanded. It flew towards Sarah quickly, and there was no way in hell Sarah was going to be able to dodge, not that she was the type of pokemon you asked to do so.

"Protect!" I commanded. Her shell glowed varying shades of green that swirled as Skarmory jabbed at her several times. Sarah felt nothing from the assault, and eagerly awaited orders for a counter attack.

"Use Dragonbreath!" I called. Sarah growled as her shell stopped glowing, and pink fire emerged from the opening in her shell and engulfed Skarmory. I grinned and clenched my fist, pride surging through me. But it was short-lived, as Skarmory fanned the flames away and came out without so much as a scratch. I gritted my teeth and searched my mind for another strategy, but Skyla was not going to relent.

"Steel Wing!" She cried as Skarmory's wings glowed. Skarmory cawed and rushed towards Sarah, slamming its wings into her. Sarah cried out as she slid against the floor, but she was able to stay standing. Skyla and Skarmory weren't done yet though.

"Fury Attack!" Skyla cried. Skarmory followed up her previous attack and barraged Sarah with a flurry of Fury Attacks, chipping away at her defenses until she could no longer hold off the attack. Sarah groaned as her legs splayed, her shell rocking back and forth slowly while Clyde inspected her.

"Shelgon is unable to battle, Skarmory wins!" He declared. I sighed as I recalled Sarah into her pokeball, thanking her for trying hard as I put it back on my belt. I looked at Skyla with fierce determination while I grabbed Lola's pokeball, tossing it in front of me.

"This isn't over yet! Let's do it Lola!" I cried as the Deino appeared in front of me, snorting and digging her foot into the floor. Skyla smiled warmly at me as her Skarmory preened.

"That's the spirit! Don't give up until you run out of pokemon!" She chirped. I returned her smile with a toothy grin as I clenched my fist.

"Go Lola! Crunch!" I commanded. Lola roared as she charged forward, but Skarmory simply leapt out of the way, into the air and looked down at Lola with a confident smirk.

"Steel Wing!" Skyla yelled. Skarmory dived and slammed her wings into Lola's side, making the dragon cough as her scar was aggravated. I winced at what I could only guess was an incredibly painful wound, and gritted my teeth.

"Crunch again!" I commanded. Lola struck out to grab Skarmory's wing, but she evaded her attack again and instead slammed her wings into Lola on the other side.

It continued like this FOREVER. I would command Lola to attack, and Skarmory would dodge and use Steel Wing. Lola was getting frustrated and tired, and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it except watch. I could feel myself shaking as Lola was thrown back, landing near my feet in a crumpled heap. She whimpered as she raised her head, turning it towards me.

'_I'm so ashamed, forgive me Vixen._' She said as her head went limp, passing out. I sighed as I walked over to the dragon, picking up her limp form while Clyde raised his flags.

"Deino is unable to battle, Skarmory wins! The victory goes to the Gym Leader, Skyla!" He declared. I heard a beep near my ear, and I assumed Colress was doing something to the device. I sat on the floor, cuddling my pokemon as Skyla and Skarmory walked over to us.

"Hey, you did great. I bet if you got just a little faster you could catch Skarmory. Would you like us to escort you to the pokemon center?" She asked, trying to be helpful. I shook my head slowly and stood up, holding Lola tightly as she rested.

"No thank you, I'll walk." I said quietly. Skyla nodded and turned away to help Clyde work on the fan while Skarmory and Swanna stared at me. Swanna walked up suddenly and put something on Lola, letting it roll until it hit my chest. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was a Sitrus berry, and nodded in thanks at it as I started walking back towards the path, cradling my injured pokemon.

When I got outside, I saw Colress waiting for me. He strode over to me with an apologetic smile, reaching out to grab the berry and helping Lola eat it. I stayed still as slowly, Lola came back to life, her mind coming out of unconsciousness and touching mine again. I sighed as Colress reached up and removed his device from my head, folding it up and pocketing it.

"You can do better than that, I know you can. I will delete that video, if you wish." He offered, trying to be comforting in his own way. I smirked as Lola started squirming in my arms, asking me to put her down. As she stood up, I smiled at Colress and nodded at him.

"Yeah, I know what went wrong. As Skyla said, I need to be faster." I told him. He smiled as he took out his tablet, running his finger over the touchpad.

"I see. If you wish, I can help you train." He said, giving me a look I did not recognize. I shook my head and took out the mapping extension that Cory had given me, plugging it into my X-Transceiver.

"I'd like to be alone with my pokemon right now, if you don't mind." I said quietly. I felt a hand on my shoulder, squeezing softly, and looked up to see Colress look at me sympathetically.

"I understand. Until we meet again, Vixen." He said, letting go and walking off. I sighed and looked at Lola, who was hanging her head miserably. I forced a small smile on my face and reached down to pet her, sending comforting thoughts to her.

This wasn't the end.

TBC

Believe it or not, I actually really hate Skyla. The anime portrayed her in such a disgusting manner, and the fact that her Swanna and Skarmory kicked my ass all over the place in Black 2 did NOT help her case. I hope I was able to do her justice, and that my hatred for her stays out of this.

Also, I hope you guys didn't see this as another near-death chapter. Vixen wasn't in any real danger even by my standards. A little malfunction of the fans just made it, complicated. That scene was meant to show Lola and Sarah's strength and dedication to Vixen. Especially Sarah since she hasn't had very much development.

This is probably the closest you will ever get to an ACCURATE depiction of my gym battles. That Skarmory kicked my ass guys. It was worse than her Swanna, who is a bitch in her own right XD. The first few times I fought Skyla, she kept pulling out Swanna after I beat Swoobat, and it dominated with Bubblebeam and Air Slash. Then when I got a bit better, her Skarmory trolled me. It wasn't fair dudes, every time I attacked it, I missed, and yet it had no trouble spamming Steel Wing.

See what I mean about bullshitting you guys though? I already pulled a stunt like this with the Castelia Gym, it would have been unfair to you guys to skip a SECOND losing battle. I had a reason for doing it in Castelia but it would have been unacceptable to do that here. She needs to lose legitimately onscreen SOMETIME.


	41. Chapter 40: Gone but Not Forgotten

I sat in the lobby of the pokemon center, staring at the tiles of the floor while Zachary sat next to me, disguised as a young man who vaguely resembled me. I looked up at the counter, sighing when I still didn't see Nurse Joy appear with my pokemon.

"I shoulda considered using you Zachary, maybe you would have been fast enough to take on that Skarmory." I said quietly. Zachary reached a hand over to me and slowly rubbed my back, trying to comfort me. I couldn't help but smile as I laid back and leaned into him in a hug.

I overestimated my pokemon's strength, and because of that lapse in judgement I lost. But I'm not going to dwell on that. The last time I did that, I wasn't able to protect my pokemon from getting stolen. I can't let that happen again, and I won't. Right now, I need to calm myself and comfort my pokemon, and then we're going to relax and take care of something important. As I thought over my plans for the next couple of days in my head, Nurse Joy returned to her post and called my name.

"Your pokemon are feeling much better. Take it easy today, and they'll be just fine." She said sweetly. I smiled at her and nodded, taking my pokeballs from her.

"Thanks so much Nurse Joy, we'll take it easy." I assured her, putting all my pokeballs back on my belt. Zachary leapt up and returned to his normal form, making it much less awkward when I recalled him into his pokeball before I called out Lola. She appeared in a flash of light, looking downcast, and I reached down to pet her as we started out of the pokemon center.

'_I'm so sorry._' She told me. I smiled at her, even though she couldn't see it, as I raised my arm to look at the model of Mistralton City to find the path I wanted.

"Don't be, Skarmory cheated." I told her, making her snort in amusement.

'_She did not._' Lola replied as we walked.

"It's the only explanation. After all, there is a LOT of power that goes into Steel Wing, it's not supposed to be easy to land a hit. At the very least, you should have been able to catch her wings. We just need to make you a little faster, that's all." I assured her. She whined as our feet sank ever so slightly into the ground while we walked.

'_You make it sound like it'll be easy. Like I can just swallow a pill and be faster._' She replied dryly. I snickered as we finally made it to Route 7, looking around as the beautiful forested land.

"Actually, there ARE drinks and pills and stuff that can do that, but we're not going to rely on those. First, we're gonna go visit someone, and then we are going to work on your speed and reaction time, then we are going to go BACK to the gym, knock that Skarmory out of the sky, and be on our way to the next gym, polishing our brand new badge." I declared. Lola sighed at me, and I could feel her doubts prominently in my mind. Trust and faith were stronger though, so I decided to drop it as we made it to a patch of really tall grass, with a beam stretching high above it.

'_So, who are we going to see?_' Lola asked me as I tested the beam with my foot, gesturing for her to follow as I climbed up.

"An old friend of my mom's." I replied quietly as we walked on the beam, high over the tall grass.

Lola and I said nothing more to each other as we made our way through the route, hiding between the trees and carefully maneuvering about to avoid attracting any attention, until we reached our destination. A huge, white tower stood above us, dominating the land with it's impressive, yet elegant stature. I took a deep breath as Lola and I walked in, and I felt a chill go up my spine as I looked around the candlelit room.

"Hello again Vixen! I trust you won your gym badge?" I heard Professor Juniper say as she popped out in front of us, startling us for a moment.

"Oh gosh! Don't do that here, you gave me and Lola a heart attack!" I yelped as my Deino echoed my annoyance. Juniper grinned sheepishly at us and rubbed the back of her head, chuckling.

"Sorry, anyway, so how did it go?" She asked. I sighed and shook my head at her while Lola warbled sadly.

"Not well, her Skarmory is tough, it put my team out of commission for a day." I told her. The Professor nodded understandingly at me as she looked around the tower.

"I see. You aren't, here to bury someone…are you?" She asked hesitantly. I giggled and shook my head quickly to dispel any negativity.

"No no no, not that, I'm a visitor today not a client." I told her, making her perk up.

"Oh alright then. I was about to say, I didn't think Skyla was THAT hard on her challengers. So, who are you visiting?" She asked, tilting her head at me. I smiled as I raised my X-Transceiver, pressing the call feature and dialing my house number. After a few rings, my mom picked up.

"_Hello? Oh Vixen! Look at you, you look so mature now! And you got a X-Transceiver!" _My mom said proudly, making me smile.

"Hi Mom. And yeah, I got it as a reward for helping out a Deino trainer on a TV show. Mom, guess where I am right now?" I said, grinning at her. She tilted her head in the screen and looked at me in confusion.

"Where sweetheart?" She asked, making my smile wider.

"I'm in the Celestial Tower on Route 7 Mom." I told her, making her face drop. She stared at me hard, her face devoid of emotion except for her eyes, which were slowly filling with tears. I tilted my head and frowned at her, worried that I had done the wrong thing.

"Mom?" I asked tentatively. She sniffled and shook her head quickly, giving me a soft smile.

"Sorry sweetheart, you caught me off guard. I-it never occurred to me that you would visit that place. Are your pokemon alright?" She asked me in worry. I smiled and nodded at her.

"Yeah we're all fine Mom. I called because…I want to know where you buried Arrow." I told her, making her smile tearfully as she went into her memories.

"Oh Arrow…I miss her so much darling." She told me, disappearing for a moment as she went for a tissue. I felt a lot of emotion from Lola as she nudged my hip, and Professor Juniper stayed quiet while I continued my phone call.

"I know Mom, that's why I wanna visit her. I wanna show her how much her best friend's child has grown, and show her the legacy she left. Her pokeball is now Lola's home, Mom." I told her. Mom audibly sobbed once for a moment, looking at me proudly.

"Vixen, you are such a sweet girl. She is on the third floor, near the steps going up. Please give her my prayers dear." She asked. I nodded at her and continued to smile.

"I will Mom." I said simply. With my assurances, Mom bade me goodbye and hung up, and I looked up to see a beaming Professor Juniper.

"So you're here to see you mother's old pokemon, that's a very noble chore for you to take on Vixen." She told me. I nodded as I picked up Lola, hugging her while I looked for the stairs. Professor Juniper followed me as we began to climb.

"Well, Arrow means a lot to my mom, and to me. She's the one who taught Mom about believing in yourself and to always try your hardest, even when the odds were stacked against you. Mom in turn taught those things to me, and gave me the custom pokeball she had bought for Arrow to show how much she loved her." I told her.

"I see, and what kind of pokemon was Arrow? What happened to her?" She asked. I took a deep breath as we climbed, hugging Lola tightly.

"She was just a regular Dunsparce. But she was so much more than that to Mom. She was her best friend, her source of courage. They were together for everything. Arrow took Mom to the pokemon league and helped her get past the first member of the Elite 4. She helped Mom meet Dad, and was with them on their first date." I started, thinking about all the stories Mom had told me about Arrow as we made it onto the second floor.

"It's funny, Mom told me that when Dad asked her to marry him, she did so on the condition that SHE got to choose her bridesmaids and her alone. She invited all the female Gym Leaders she defeated to be her Bridesmaids, and Arrow was the Maid of Honor. It took awhile for them to find a Church that would allow such an outrageous thing, especially since Dad's Best Man was his Samurott. When they did though, it was a magical evening for the both of them." I said as we started for the stairs, taking careful note of the odd lights around us.

"I was conceived on their Honeymoon, and they were very excited to have their first kid. But about 6 months along, Dad and Samurott were killed when they crossed paths with dangerous kidnappers and tried to help their hostage. Mom was distraught by this news, and she told me that the stress from that alone almost resulted in a miscarriage. Arrow was able to help her through it though, and stayed faithful to her even after I was born." I continued as we ascended the next flight of stairs.

"Mom said Arrow loved me to bits, and she always played with me and kept me safe even when Mom wasn't looking. After my first birthday though, Arrow got sick. She was such an old pokemon, she just couldn't keep it up anymore. Mom and I stayed with her for 3 days, with me still playing with her while Mom took care of her needs, until she started to really strain from fighting the inevitable. Mom had laid me down so that I rested against one side of her while she laid her head against the other, and begged Arrow to let go so that she wouldn't suffer anymore. She promised Arrow she would be okay, and that I would be alright too, and Arrow died peacefully while we hugged her." I said, sniffling while I rubbed my head in Lola's down.

"That's so sad." Professor Juniper said quietly, her voice thick with unshed tears.

"I honestly don't remember a whole lot about Arrow, not even her death unfortunately, but I do remember how much she cared about us. Mom gave me her pokeball so that it would be like I had a little piece of Arrow with me everywhere I went, always watching over me." I said as I set Lola down to finger the pokeball when we made it to the third floor. We carefully maneuvered around the tombstones, allowing the other trainers who were grieving for their departed pokemon the space they needed, until I found the marker I wanted.

It wasn't anything fancy. A standard, stone slab that rose up from the ground with Arrow's name carved on it. Under her name, the words '_A loyal friend, whose spirit flies to give the underdogs strength_' Were carved, and I ran my finger carefully over the inscription while Lola nosed it softly. I could feel the tears slowly descend down my cheeks while I interacted with the tombstone, and I sniffled loudly to keep myself from crying.

"Litwick." I heard a voice say softly. I turned to find the owner of the voice, and found a little white candle with a purple flame atop its head smiling mischievously at me. It was joined by a few others as I pulled out my pokedex to scan them.

"_Litwick, the Candle Pokemon. Litwick's flame is powered by the energy of life, and will trick people into thinking they are helpful when they are most likely trying to feed off of their life force instead._" It said, making me gulp.

"Mother of Arceus, can I please go at least 5 minutes without my life being in danger?" I complained under my breath. I had spoken too soon, however, as they parted, forming a path that another purple light approached us on, joined by a much lighter one. I squinted to try and see what it was, but I wasn't able to discern either shape very well until they came closer, and I grew very confused. I wasn't surprised about the Chandelure so much as the Dunsparce whose tail it held. I tilted my head as the two figures settled in front of us, with the Dunsparce smiling oddly yet warmly at me.

'Hello Vixen, you have grown so much since I last saw you.' The Dunsparce said is a soft, feminine voice, shocking me as I blinked several times.

"D-did a Dunsparce just talk to me?" I asked out loud.

'Indeed I did, why does that surprise you? Your Deino is able to speak with you, right?' It asked, and I turned to looked at Lola, who was as bewildered as I was.

'_I haven't said anything._' She chirped, whining in confusion. The Dunsparce simply laughed in a smooth, bubbly way as she stretched herself closer to me.

'Look at me Vixen, surely you remember me, don't you?' She asked. I stared into her absent, though very loving eyes, and searched deep into my mind, and then it hit me. I reached out to touch the pokemon, but my fingers went right through her, making her groan.

'I'm sorry sweetheart, you won't be able to touch me again for a long, long time.' She said in a sad tone. I felt tears poke through my eyes as I sniffled, rubbing my face. As the pokemon looked at me with a soft, loving sort of pride befitting a parent, I knew immediately who this pokemon was.

"Arrow…" Was all I was able to say.

TBC

Alrighty, no more false death threats. I promise. From here on out, either her life will be at stake, or not at all.

So, who here saw this coming? Anyone? That's ri-PUT YOUR HAND DOWN YOU DAMN DIRTY LIER! Go stand in the corner and think about what you've done. Ass.

Anyway, for the rest of you, I've been toying with this idea for awhile. I've known I wanted to come to Celestial Tower and visit Arrow's grave since Chargestone cave, but I literally came up with the reunion thing at the last minute. It was almost another Plot Tree like the Castelia Fiasco, because I thought about having her spirit chase away some hungry Litwick, but we've had enough near-death experiences to last a few chapters. At least until we get to Opelucid. Also, Vixen almost broke the fourth wall, oopsies.

And yay! My review exceed the chapters! Thanks so much you guys :3 As thanks, I will answer Pokefan's Review right here, right now:

6 Words Pokefan, The Computer is A Cheating Bastard. Look it up on TV Tropes XD As for the thing between Sorrel and Sarah *who WILL eventually evolve*, I assure you it is nothing romantic. Although I can think of worse things than TyphlosionxSalamance *look up HSOWA on google*, what they have is simply a friendship that has gone right to BFF status at least and Brother/Sister at most. They love each other, but they don't "love" each other.

And I'm so glad you enjoy the way I write my pokemon. I will admit, it's not easy to give life to characters who rarely speak out loud except for angry noises, but it helps to have a Deino Ex Machina who can translate all that crap for me XD. That said, I am totally going to brag here when I say my pokemon have far more personality than the Anime's pokemon do. If this is wrong for me to say, then may Arceus smite me where I lay among my fluffy blankets right now!

Next chappie.


	42. Chapter 41: Arrow's Will

As Arrow and I stared at each other, my mind was buzzing with mine and Lola's astonishment. Right here, before us, was the soul of my mother's beloved pokemon. It was like a dream, but at the same time it wasn't.

'You were barely bigger than my head when I last saw you, and now look at you. I'm so glad.' She said with a pleased sigh. I smiled at her as I reached over to pick up Lola, holding her out to the departed pokemon.

"Arrow, this is Lola, my partner. I hope it's okay but, I'm using your pokeball for her. See?" I said as Lola turned her head and carefully plucked the pokeball from my neck, turning back to hold it out to Arrow. The Dunsparce's tiny wings flapped ever so gently as she regarded us, smiling warmly.

'Do you love her, Vixen?' She asked me. I sniffled and nodded at her as I cuddled Lola.

"With all of my heart Arrow." I replied. The Dunsparce nodded at me approvingly as she made a soft hissing sound.

'Then as far as I am concerned, that pokeball belongs to you both just as much as it belonged to me and Elise.' She said softly. The Chandelure moaned and leaned forward, making Arrow sigh sadly.

"What's wrong Arrow?" I asked, tilting my head. She looked at me and gave me a sad smile.

'I'm afraid I don't have much longer. My friend here is going to be in a lot of trouble if I don't go back soon.' She told me gently.

"What do you mean?" I asked. She smiled again at me and made another low hissing sound as she reared up to be on a more even level with me.

'Chandelure are the guardians of the afterlife, and this one happens to be a good friend I've met since my passing. When you entered the tower, she was gracious enough to offer to take me to see you, but this goes against laws set by The Original One.' She explained, making me frown.

"I'm so sorry, I don't want you to get in trouble." I told her. She shook her head slowly at me and inched her face closer to me and Lola.

'Don't worry, whatever comes out of this encounter, seeing you doing so well, with a partner of your own, makes it all worth it. I'm proud of you.' She told me, and I couldn't help but sniffle as I set Lola down.

"Mom misses you so much, Arrow. Can you stay long enough for me to call her so you can talk to her?" I asked. Arrow turned to the Chandelure and Litwick surrounding us, but I didn't wait for them to give an answer as I started dialing. The phone was already ringing when Chandelure gave Arrow the okay, and the Dunsparce was met with the tear-stricken face of her former trainer as I held up my wrist.

Pokemon and Trainer stared at each other, saying nothing but speaking volumes to each other. All thoughts that were unsaid, all questions that were unanswered, they were being dealt with swiftly and silently as Arrow and Mom stared at each other, separated in more ways than one, but becoming closer than any pair ever has. Only when Chandelure gave an urgent moan did Arrow cease her silent communication with my mother and turn back to me.

'Thank you, this means so much to us both. In return, I offer you this wisdom Vixen and Lola. Never give up. No matter what monster you encounter, you have a way to defeat it. No matter what darkness befalls you, you have a light to guide you. Believe in yourself and in each other, and you will have no regrets, no matter the outcome.' She told me as Chandelure began pulling her back. The two faded back into the bright lights they appeared to me as, ascending the Litwick path until they had faded away completely. I sniffled and turned my arm back to see my mom crying. When she had managed to compose herself, she looked at me with love and gratitude.

"I don't know how you managed to do that, but I am very glad you did. I can't tell you what it means to have been able to see my best friend one last time. Vixen, be a dear and ring the bell. Give her spirit comfort and hope while she rests." She asked me quietly.

"I will Mom." I replied. With nothing more to say, I hung up the phone and pulled Lola into a hug, rubbing my face in her down while she warbled, the Litwick surrounding us looking on silently.

'_That was….amazing._' Lola told me.

"It was indeed. I'm at a loss for words…." I said quietly, hugging Lola tighter. Professor Juniper cleared her throat, and we turned to see her smiling warmly at us.

"You are indeed a special pair. That was a magical event, and I am so glad I was here to see it. I will treasure it always." She said warmly. Lola and I smiled as I stood up, letting Lola down. Looking towards the stairs, I smiled and quickly made my way over to them, Lola and Juniper following close behind.

We climbed the stairs, saying nothing even in mind as we made our way to the top. Looking around at my surroundings, I took a deep breath while I walked to the edge. I looked over the railing and gulped. We were so high up in the sky that we were even above the clouds, and I could not see through them. I nervously walked away from the railing and turned to the huge bell that hung over a platform. As Juniper and Lola made it up to the summit of the tower, I strode over to the platform and climbed up the last few steps, approaching the bell. I looked around it and frowned, turning to Professor Juniper.

"How am I supposed to ring it? Do I just push it or something?" I asked. She smiled and nodded at me, crossing her arms.

"Yep, just give it a good shove and it'll ring." She told me. I frowned again as I turned to the bell. It looked too pretty for me to just shove it, but if that is what I had to do, oh well. I took a deep breath and stepped back, power-walking forward and gave the bell a good shove.

The bell swung back and forth slowly, its ring pulsating through the air. It reminded me of Reshiram's roar, but in a lighter note. I tilted my head curiously at the sound as I turned to Professor Juniper, who was still smiling at me.

"What a delightful sound, it was so innocent, yet strangely, something else." She told me, walking back towards the stairs. I stepped down from the bell and sat on one of the steps leading to it while Lola sat next to me, and we watched Juniper start walking down the stairs.

"Thanks so much for letting me accompany you on your trip to the tower here. I really should get back to my lab. Good luck on your training, and I hope you get that badge! See you later!" She said in an excited tone, rushing down the stairs.

"Bye!" I called, though I doubt she could hear me. I moved off the step and stretched out on the ground, staring up at the sky as Lola's head loomed over me.

'_Whacha thinking about?_' She asked. I smiled and reached up to pet her, scratching her down softly.

"You should know what I'm thinking about. You're in my mind Madam Floofykins." I said with a grin. Lola snorted and stuck her nose in the air.

'_I prefer "Lola" thank you very much. And I know I CAN know what you are thinking about, but I choose not to just barge into your private thoughts without permission, except in emergencies of course._' She replied, making me giggle.

"I'm just teasing you Lola. Anyway, I was thinking about what Arrow said." I told her. Lola made a curious noise as she got off the step, padding over to lay down beside me, resting her head on my stomach.

'_What part?_' She asked. I reached over and gently lifted her head, turning her face until I was staring directly at it.

"About the part where we shouldn't have any regrets. I don't regret challenging Skyla, or losing to her for that matter." I told her. Lola squeaked and tilted her head at me.

'_How can you say that? How do you not regret us getting hurt for nothing!?_' Lola screamed in my mind, making me wince.

"Ow, easy girl, I've had enough temper-tantrums in my head today. And it wasn't for nothing, we DID take away an important lesson in that gym battle. I mean yeah, losing is no fun, and it kills me to watch you guys get beaten so brutally, but still." I began, rubbing her head.

"We can't win everything, and you learn more from losing than you do from winning anyway. You should always seek victory, but we can't be afraid of defeat. We're gonna get better, faster, stronger. And when we do, we'll dish back everything that stupid Skarmory gave us and more. You think we can do it?" I asked her. Lola warbled and stood up, moving closer to me and laying her head along my torso.

'_I know we can. I know you'll come through for us Vixen, you always do._' She said with a happy sigh. I laughed and wrapped my arms around her neck, hugging her tightly and nuzzling her soft down. We were on cloud 9 right now. The happiest trainer and pokemon in all of Unova. There wasn't anything that could have made us even happier at that particular moment.

And then the tower rumbled.

TBC

And that is the closest I will ever get to an in-character plug for VictorySeekers. XD

I just realized how much stuff I skipped over, oops. To be fair, I actually didn't DO a lot of the side-stuff. I mean yeah, you are forced to sit in PokeStar Studios and watch Pop Roxie's hilariously bad movie, but I already mentioned that during the tournament XD

So, what do you think you guys? Is Vixen in danger AGAIN, or should Vixen be glad about it? We'll have to see next chapter!


	43. Chapter 42: The Birth of the Dragons

I bolted upright and clutched Lola close as the tower shook, but as I looked around me, I sighed in relief to find that the tower was NOT collapsing, merely reacting to the weight of a 700 pound dragon. I let Lola go as Ra ra bowed, allowing her trainer to jump down from her back. Sneer slid off her back and slithered up beside Carina, who beamed at me.

"Hiya Vixy! How are ya?" She asked me as Ra ra relaxed, sitting down and sighing happily. I grinned back at her as I moved Lola off me, standing up.

"Oh you know, just doing some training, traveling between cities, dodging death every 3 seconds, the usual." I said casually, making the woman snicker at me.

"Sounds like fun, never a dull moment with you, is there?" She replied, still giggling.

"Indeed." I agreed, nodding. Carina laughed again and smiled warmly at me, saying nothing more as she looked around. She seemed more laid back than usual as she wandered the top of the tower silently, as though she were taking everything in for the first time in a long time, if not ever. She sighed as as leaned back, allowing herself to submit to gravity knowing her Serperior would catch her. She turned on the serpent and hugged her tightly, sighing.

"I don't know why, but I can't help but relax up here." She said, cracking an eye to peer at me with her crimson orbs. I tilted my head at her in confusion as I turned to the stairs.

"Is it the Litwick?" I asked. She snickered and shook her head as Sneer adjusted herself to make Carina more comfortable.

"Naw, they won't bother me. Even the Musketeers know better than to touch the Hero of Truth." She told me, making me blink.

"Wow, you're THAT respected to the pokemon?" I asked, making her chuckle again.

"More like Ra ra is THAT feared. I mean look at her, does she LOOK like a pokemon you want to piss off?" She said, pointing to the dragon in question. In turn, Ra ra smiled innocently as she stretched her legs from where she sat.

"That, is not very convincing." I snarked.

'_Doesn't need to be. Just because I have a nasty temper, it doesn't mean I use it much. I'm not out to kill everyone, just making sure that everyone respects the Truth._' She said with an indignant snort, making me and Carina laugh. We stayed in silence, fairly comfortable, until Carina turned to me with a serious look in her eyes.

"So what did you call me for?" She asked. I sighed as I turned to Ra ra, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Actually, she's the one I need to talk to. Team Plasma has Kyurem." I said, making Ra ra's eyes snap open.

'_WHAT!?_' She snarled in my mind, making me and Carina wince. Sneer hissed at Lola, who ducked behind me and began pushing me towards the serpent. Sneer turned Carina in her coils, reaching for her pokeballs and tossing a couple over the side before she grabbed me and leapt over after it. Lola followed suit as we descended, but the pokeballs Sneer had thrown opened up, a Swoobat and a pokemon I did not recognize rushed towards us. Swoobat flew up to Sneer and stretched its legs out, allowing her to clamp onto them with her tiny hands while Lola and I were caught by the mysterious pokemon.

I felt a wave of heat wash over me as Ra ra's roar echoed from the top of the tower, and I looked up to see a bright red aura rise from it, pulsating angrily. Carina sighed as Swoobat and Sneer pulled up beside us.

"If I had known you were going to do that, I would have stopped you. Rule Number 1, NEVER tell a legendary pokemon one of their fellow legendaries has been captured, especially one from its associated group." She said as Ra ra continued to scream in rage. I instinctively shrunk into the pokemon I was being held by, who tightened its grip on me and Lola.

"Should we…do…something?" I asked awkwardly while Lola hummed. Carina shook her head and leaned down on Sneer.

"No she'll be fine. Just give her a minute, she'll get over it." She said as she reached over to pet her Swoobat, who seemed none the worse for wear despite holding up a good 250 pounds in the air. I blinked as I turned to the pokemon who held me, who gave me a friendly smile.

"So then, who are you?" I asked it.

"Tornadus." It replied in a deep, though breathy voice. I tilted my head as I looked at the strap of my bag.

"Mind holding me steady while I get my pokedex out? I wanna scan you." I said. The pokemon nodded and moved one of its arms down to encircle my waist, hugging me tightly while I reached for the mentioned device, leaning back so I could get a decent shot.

"_Tornadus, the Cyclone Pokemon. The energy this pokemon creates is so powerful, it creates storms wherever it flies that are strong enough to blow away houses._" It said, making Tornadus blush and turn away with a whimper. I smiled at the clearly ashamed pokemon, leaning in to hug it.

"It's alright, I'm sure you don't mean to, right?" I asked, making it turn its attention back to me with a smile. Carina chuckled as she leaned over to pat her pokemon on the shoulder.

"He's gotten better about it. He doesn't fly too fast anymore and when he does, he'll be too high up to do any damage." Carina said, looking up at the tower. I followed her gaze and noted how quiet and peaceful it sounded now.

'_Think she's done?_' Lola asked me cautiously, sniffing the air.

"I dunno. Carina what do you think, is it safe to go back up there?" I asked, turning to the woman.

"Well, I don't feel any rage from her, I think we'll be okay. Swoobat, Tornadus, let's go." She commanded. The two pokemon chirped in confirmation as they slowly ascended, looking for any sign of danger. As we approached the top, I saw Ra ra glaring. At first, nothing in particular, but as Tornadus brought me up she quickly turned her gaze to me with a sort of fierceness I didn't think was possible for a pokemon. Even Cobalion didn't look as angry as the dragon who stared me down, and I shrunk into Tornadus again, hugging Lola tightly.

"Ra ra?" I squeaked, hoping she'd snap out of it.

'_Tell. me. EVERYTHING. Leave nothing out._' She commanded.

"I don't know the how or why. The only interactions I've had with Kyurem were when I was captured by Team Plasma and when I snuck onto their ship. The first encounter, I was unconscious the entire time and the second it tried to warn us to get away before we got ambushed." I explained. Ra ra narrowed her eyes further and leaned down until she was level with me, her nose almost touching mine. Tornadus and Lola growled, but a short yip from Sneer prevented them from acting out as the dragon snorted, raising herself.

'_Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad you're not stupid enough to try to lie to me._" She said, her voice calming.

"Feel better now?" Carina asked as she dismounted Sneer, walking towards Ra ra and draping herself across the white, furry belly of her dragon. Ra ra sighed and sat down again, leaning down to nudge her trainer gently.

'_Much._' She confirmed, making Tornadus, Swoobat and Sneer all sigh in relief.

"That's good. Now then, other than pissing her off, what do you want from Ra ra regarding Team Plasma's possession of Kyurem?" Carina asked, turning to me.

"I want to know why. Rood says that Kyurem isn't even strong enough to overtake either dragon alone, nevermind both at once. Ra ra, is there something about Kyurem that we should know about?" I asked, making the dragon look sternly at me.

'_I can't say for sure. When we split, we didn't turn into 3. We were split into 4 bodies, but none of us could figure out what the fourth one was._' She said, making me frown in confusion.

"Explain." Carina commanded.

'_Well, when we were whole, we represented the three most important values. Truth, Ideals, and Balance. All three were the keys to our power, and by having our Heroes regulate it, we were able to act as the strength our Heroes needed to create what is now Unova._' She began, looking up.

'_But our Heroes lacked balance. To them, there was only Truth and Ideals, black and white. There was no balance, no gray in their souls. The lack of balance created such a rift between them, and they were no longer able to keep our power in check. Our powers grew unstable, and the raw energy destroyed us._' Ra ra said, shuddering at the last part.

"How did you survive?" I asked incredulously. Ra ra looked at me and gave me a small smile.

'_The Original One, whom you refer to as Arceus, bestowed a portion of its power in all of us legendary pokemon. We cannot be killed. When our body was destroyed beyond repair, we were reborn into the pokemon we are now. I am Reshiram, the Dragon of Truth. My brothers are Zekrom, the Dragon of Ideals, and Kyurem, the Dragon of Balance. But there was a fourth. It was small, but filled with energy._' She said.

"Who was it?" I asked her. Ra ra closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.

'_I don't even know if it IS a who. Zekrom thinks that it might be Victini, since it is able to use Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt, our less powerful signature attack. I doubt that highly though. Indeed it was powerful, but there wasn't anything sentient about it._' She continued, looking up at me as though I had the answers.

"Well whatever it was, it doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that we need to find and rescue Kyurem." Carina said, standing up proudly. Ra ra nodded at her trainer and stood up as well.

'_Agreed, but we will need help. I am more powerful when I work together with Zekrom. It's time we put a stop to Team Plasma's nonsense once and for all._' Ra ra said, roaring as she became covered in flames that circled around her. Carina smirked as she ran over to the pokemon, leaping up onto her back when the fires died down.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, stepping off of Tornadus with Lola in my arms to walk over to them. Ra ra smiled fiercely at me as she looked at the stairs.

'_I want you to get stronger. Knowing you, you are going to continue to try to stop Team Plasma, yes? Well, then go gather your strength so that you can stop them._' She said as she stretched her neck over the stairs, roaring inside them.

"Ra ra's gonna make sure the ghost pokemon down there play nice with you. Good luck in your gym battle Vixen. I promise we'll be back as soon as we find N and Zekrom." Carina said as she recalled Sneer, Swoobat and Tornadus. With a final wave, Ra ra leapt off the tower. They circled around the tower and Carina leaned down, throwing something at me.

"Hey Vixen, catch!" She cried as the object flew towards me. I scrambled underneath its path and stretched my hands out, catching it just before it could go over the edge. I brought it closer to myself and opened my hands, gasping as I recognized the familiar pink and purple of a Master Ball. I looked up to try and argue, but Ra ra had already flown away, her form barely visible in the distance. With no other option, I pocketed the device and turned to Lola, who grinned at me as she started towards the stairs. I could feel pride ooze from her, and I couldn't help but return the feelings at the four words she uttered.

'_Let's do it Vixen._'

TBC

A short chapter, but it's a big one. This pretty much sets up the rest of the fanfic. Forgive me, but I'm gonna skip the training session and go right to the rematch. I don't feel like writing another graveyard scene, I just know i will start crying again if I dare reference Arrow again.

Onto the next chapter!


	44. Chapter 43: The Jet Badge Part 2

The next day, the wind blew gently as Lola and I stood outside the Mistralton gym. My lanyard swayed in the gentle breeze, making my badges clack together. I looked down at the dragon beside me, who hummed in anticipation of the upcoming fight.

"Ready Lola?" I asked her. Lola snorted and growled, her claws clacking against the asphalt as she flexed them.

'_I am ready._ _That badge is as good as ours._' She said proudly. I grinned as I reached down to pat her head, starting forward with her behind. Clyde was in the lobby, speaking on the phone when we walked in. He glanced at us real quick before he went back to his conversation, waving towards the door. I blinked at him in confusion, and tried the door. It opened when I turned the handle, so I assumed it was okay for me to go through.

There was no wind as Lola and I stepped onto the grated floor. I guess the fans were still broken. That was fine by me, I was perfectly okay with not fighting a nasty air current to get my badge. We marched towards the platform where Skyla would be waiting, pride oozing from our stride. We heard metal clang against metal and I could see the fans move ever so slightly, showing that Skyla was indeed working on them, and I picked up the pace, jogging along the grated floor to get to Skyla's platform before she fixed the fan.

My fears were unfounded as Lola and I hit the edge of the platform, peering around the corner to see Skyla standing on her Skarmory with a wrench in her hand, trying to reach up and turn a bolt while her Swanna clung to her shoulders to steady her. I blinked a few times and tilted my head as I walked over to her, Skarmory and Swanna chirping at me in greeting.

"Um, need help?" I asked, startling Skyla. She yelped and jumped up, slipping off Skarmory, but she managed to grab one of Swanna's legs as the pokemon flapped its wings, gently lowering her down. Skyla looked at me sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head, chuckling awkwardly.

"Sorry, you startled me. And thanks, but it's okay. I'll get it fixed eventually." She said, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Maybe this is a sign that you need to stop putting death contraptions of doom in your gym to try and kill your challengers?" I asked, making her laugh.

"Hahaha why does everyone say that? I'm not trying to kill everyone, I just wanna help them fly!" She said with a glint in her eyes. I rolled my eyes as I walked to my side of the field, Lola padding up beside me.

"I'm sure there are better ways to do that without needing a waiver. Anyway, you ready for my challenge?" I asked as Clyde suddenly appeared, shaking out his flags. Skyla grinned as she walked over to her side of the field, stretching her arms.

"Ready when you are. Clyde?" She said, adding the last part at our referee who cleared his throat.

"The rematch between Gym Leader Skyla and the Challenger Vixen is about to get underway! Like last time, each trainer may use 3 pokemon but only the challenger is allowed substitutions! Trainers, bring out your pokemon!" He said as Lola stomped onto the field.

"Swoobat! Let's go!" Skyla said with a whistle. Her Swoobat fell from the ceiling and hovered on the field, looking at me sweetly. I grinned as Lola rotated her neck, ready for battle.

"Battle, begin!" Clyde called.

"Use Attract!" Skyla called. Swoobat began to croon as its head glowed, firing a pink, heart-shaped beam at Lola. The Deino shook her head and snorted, and I clenched my fist.

'_Don't worry Vixen, I don't run that way. Shall I?_' She asked, making me grin.

"Lola, use Crunch!" I commanded. Lola snarled as she charged towards Swoobat, shocking both the pokemon and its trainer as she latched onto Swoobat's wing, throwing it away from her as her as she could. Swoobat hit the wall and slowly slid down while Skyla's jaw hit the floor.

"HOW!?" She asked as Clyde took a close look at her pokemon.

"Swoobat is unable to battle, Deino wins!" He said while Lola wiggled, warbling happily.

"Lola's a girl. Attract will only immobilize pokemon of the opposite sex." I said, making Skyla blush.

"…I guess I should have taken a hint from her name. I'm having an off-day." She said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. I blinked slowly at her and put my hands on my hips, tilting my head at her.

"You sure you wanna keep going? I can wait until tomorrow when you've had a chance to rest?" I offered. Lola squawked and turned to look at me like I said something stupid.

'_Are you out of your mind!?_' She screeched in my head, making me wince slightly.

"I'm just trying to be polite Lola. It's not fair to her to fight her if she's not up to it. It's not really a win when she doesn't have her heart in it." I scolded, making Skyla laugh.

"So you CAN talk to your pokemon! That's cool! So can I!" She blurted out as she recalled her Swoobat, confusing me.

"You can?" I asked. She grinned wide as Skarmory trotted onto the field, snorting in defiance.

"Yep! I can only talk to Swanna though. I would talked to you about it before but Swanna told me we were being watched by a camera. That's not exactly an ability we should flaunt." She said, leaning to one side. I smiled and nodded at her as Lola stamped her foot, ready to fight.

"I figured that much. Don't need to give Team Plasma ANOTHER reason to get rid of me." I moaned. Skyla chuckled and straightened herself out.

"True, but I was more thinking along the lines of never having time to myself. EVERYONE would want to use me and Swanna as like, a telephone or something to talk to their pokemon. That kind of thing would get annoying really fast." She said, turning back to the field. I hummed as I thought her reason over, and I found myself nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, that would suck. I've been keeping it secret because it could be dangerous for the wrong person to know, but not being used as a translation device is a good bonus too. Anyway, are you okay to keep going?" I asked, tilting my head as Lola dug her foot into the ground. Skyla grinned and nodded quickly.

"Yep, I'm a little out of it from working on the fans all morning, but I'll be okay. Let's keep it up! Skarmory, Steel Wing!" She commanded. Skarmory screeched as she opened her wings, charging towards Lola. I grinned and watched as Lola braced herself, both of us just waiting for the right moment. When Skarmory got close, I clenched my fist while Lola perked up.

"Dragon Rush!" I commanded. Lola roared as blue fire engulfed her body, and she charged at Skarmory, knocking her back. Skarmory dug her talons into the ground as she tried to slow her sliding, and Skyla looked at me with pleasant surprise all over her face.

"Nice job teaching her Dragon Rush! That's not much to a Steel type like Skarmory, but it's still a good move for a Deino." She said, putting her hands on her hips. I smiled and puffed out my chest in pride while Lola gave Skyla a toothy grin.

"Thanks! Dragon Rush came from me and Lola being pissed off about the fact that Headbutt wasn't doing a damn thing to the Litwick we were training on. Everything is better with fire." I said, making Skyla laugh.

"You're gonna need a lot more than that to take Skarmory down! Use Air Cutter!" She called. Skarmory leapt into the air and flapped her wings ferociously, saws of wind coming right towards Lola.

"Dragon Pulse!" I commanded. Lola opened her mouth as wide as she could and fired the wispy beam of Dragon energy. The two attacks collided in midair and exploded on contact, but Skyla didn't lose momentum.

"Fury Attack!" She cried. Skarmory dove through the smoke and flew towards Lola, but I was at the top of my game, and so was she.

"Dodge it and use Crunch!" I call. Lola leapt up quickly just as Skarmory crashed into the floor, and she got onto her back, tilting her head back and striking at Skarmory's neck. Skarmory yelped as Lola's bit penetrated her Steel feathers, the pressure from Lola's jaws building up to where it was denting the metal.

"Shake her off with Agility!" Skyla cried. Skarmory snarled as she started running, trying to make Lola's ride as bumpy as she could to dislodge my little dragon. Lola held onto her neck tightly though, and was not going to get off anytime soon.

"Gonna have to do better than that, Skyla! Lola, bite harder!" I commanded. Lola's grip tightened on Skarmory, making the metal bird scream as she stopped and turned her head, pecking away at my dragon. Lola grunted as she received jab after jab from Skarmory, and I saw the beginning of some wounds on her body even from a distance, getting dangerously close to her scar. I grabbed Lola's pokeball and held it up quickly.

"You did great Lola, return!" I called as she was pulled into the ball. Skarmory panted as she glared at me, weakened though defiant. Skyla looked at me with excitement in her eyes, with only a slight tinge of resentment at the abuse I just handed her pokemon.

"Giving up already?" She asked, tilting her head. I shook my head as I tossed another pokeball.

"Nope. I'm just getting started. Let's go Sorrel!" I yelled as the fiery badger slammed onto the field. Upon seeing his opponent, Sorrel snarled and reared up, flipping his hat off his head and throwing it at me. I leapt up to catch the hat while Sorrel lit his back flames, fully prepared for an intense battle.

"Perfect. Then use Steel Wing Skarmory!" Skyla called. Skarmory screeched as she took to the air, her wings glowing as she charged towards Sorrel. The fiery pokemon only snorted as he got down on all fours, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Now Sorrel! Counter with Flame Charge!" I commanded. Sorrel howled as he stamped his feet, covering himself in fire and rushing towards Skarmory. The two collided, claws locking on wingtips, neither side willing to give an inch.

"Skarmory, follow up with Fury Attack!" Skyla shouted as Skarmory began to peck at Sorrel.

"Sorrel, throw it away from you!" I yelled. Sorrel gritted his teeth as he dug his back claws into the field as best as he could. With an effort-laden grunt, Sorrel pushed hard against Skarmory, throwing her as far away from him as he could.

"Now finish her with Blast Burn!" I called. Sorrel howled as his fire cloak swirled around him in an angry sphere of varying reds and whites. Without warning, the ball of fire exploded, and flames went in all directions. In a show of his mastery, Sorrel proved himself to be a badass fire pokemon by taking control of the flames with his will alone, directing the full assault of the Blast Burn towards Skarmory, who was unable to move from both exhaustion and Lola's wound. The fire engulfed her, swirling around the metal bird who began to scream.

Sorrel and I waited patiently for the fire to fade, and when it did we were met with the shocking sight of Skarmory standing up, looking perfectly fine. I gasped and covered my mouth with my hands while Sorrel growled, ready to throw more fire, until I noticed that I couldn't really see Skarmory's eyes. Her mouth opened and produced a puff of smoke, before she collapsed altogether, sprawling out unconsciously at Sorrel's feet.

"Skarmory is unable to battle, Typhlosion wins!" Clyde declared, making me leap for joy while Sorrel turned around, giving me his trademark grin while Skyla recalled Skarmory.

"You did great Skarmory. Thank you." She said, looking up at me and Sorrel.

"Don't celebrate yet, Skarmory isn't even my strongest. You guys are doing great, but I'm just getting started. Swanna, let's go!" She called as her pokemon descended onto the field. The once gentle bird was now the epitome of pride. Though she was far more beautiful and less-threatening with her white feathers than Skarmory was with her metallic ones, I could tell Swanna was no pushover. I donned Sorrel's hat on my head and clenched my fists at my sides while Sorrel braced himself for battle.

"Ready when you are Skyla!" I called. She grinned as Swanna opened her wings, crooning her dominance.

"Then let's start with FeatherDance!" Skyla called as Swanna dashed into the air. She circled the field as she spun slowly and gracefully in the air, a curtain of energy that took the form of feathers descending onto the field. As soon as it hit Sorrel, he started to sneeze and shake his head from side to side, mewling and whimpering.

"Crud, Sorrel snap out of it and use Swift!" I called. He raised his head, his eyes closed, and let out another sneeze before he spat out a flurry of stars. Although he couldn't see, I knew they would find their target. Swift was weird like that. Yet it wasn't enough. Swanna took the full brunt of the attack without so much as a wince as she began gliding towards Sorrel, her face calm and passive.

"Bubblebeam!" Skyla called. Swanna's beak opened as a line of bubbles erupted from within, slamming Sorrel's stomach. The Typhlosion cried out in pain as he was knocked off his feet, falling onto his back and sliding towards me. He whimpered and looked up at me apologetically before he went limp, his eyes squeezed shut.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle! Swanna wins!" Clyde called out. I knelt down by my fallen pokemon and stroked his fur softly, taking off the hat and putting it back on his head while I tapped him gently with his pokeball.

"Thanks for taking out Skarmory, Sorrel. Sleep well." I murmured as he was pulled in. I stood up and stretched while Skyla and Swanna watched me intently. I grabbed another pokeball and tossed it ahead of me, Sarah appearing defiant;y on the field.

"Let's avenge Sorrel, Sarah! Use Zen Headbutt!" I commanded. Sarah ran forward as fast as she could, her shell glowing a light blue. Swanna flapped her wings once and dodged out of the way, but Sarah wasn't going to be stopped. She used her weight to roll on the floor, turning towards Swanna and getting her feet back onto the ground. Using the momentum, Sarah was able to catch Swanna off-guard and slam her shell into her, throwing Swanna onto the ground.

"Now use DragonBreath!" I said quickly. If Swanna got back into the air too quickly, I'd never win. Sarah growled as she moved closer to Swanna, unleashing a torrent of pink fire on the bird. Swanna cried out in pain as she laid helplessly under Sarah's onslaught.

"Swanna, counter with Bubblebeam!" Skyla cried. Swanna twisted her neck and fired her attack at Sarah, interrupting DragonBreath. Sarah cried out as Swanna shakily stood up, and I couldn't help but smile when I saw yellow sparks crackling along her body. I looked to see Sarah panting in exhaustion, and I started to carefully think over my battle plan.

'_I feel better now. Let me relieve Sarah._' Lola said in my mind, sounding slightly tired, but ready.

'_Are you sure you can do it? Skarmory beat you up pretty good._' I asked her cautiously. Pride and want flooded my mind in response as Lola perked up.

'_Let's do it! I know I can beat Swanna with your help._' She said defiantly, making me laugh as I held up Sarah's pokeball.

"Great job Sarah, take a rest. Lola, let's finish this up!" I said as the dragons switched places. Lola snarled as she dug her foot into the field. Skyla and I locked eyes and we knew this was going to be the deciding battle. It was signature pokemon versus signature pokemon. The battle was going to begin for real right here, right now.

"Air Slash!"

"Dragon Pulse!" We both called out. Swanna flapped her wings rougher than she had been previously, sending a blade of wind towards Lola, who decided to concentrate Dragon Pulse into a sphere. The attacks collided, and smoke clouded the field.

"Dragon Rush Lola!" I commanded. Lola's body became engulfed in blue fire as she charged into the smoke, and Swanna jerked as paralysis took hold, helpless to stop Lola from plowing into her. Using the momentum from Lola's attack, Swanna took to the air once more and started panting, but Skyla didn't look too concerned.

"Roost!" Skyla called. Crap. As Swanna landed and rested her eyes, I knew I was in trouble here.

"Lola, use Dragon Rush again! Don't let her heal too much!" I commanded.

'_Not on my watch, Vixen!'_ She replied as she charged towards Swanna. Lola slammed into Swanna again, making the bird cry out in pain.

"Now use Crunch!" I cried. With a snarl, Lola grabbed Swanna's wing roughly in her mouth and bit down hard, swinging Swanna around before letting go. Paralyzed, Swanna was propelled towards the fans that Skyla had been trying to fix and crashed into one of the blades. The force from Swanna hitting it made the fan rotate, and with a crackle of electricity, all of the fans began to work again, making Skyla look on in shock while Swanna wobbled back and forth, collapsing in front of the fans.

"Swanna is unable to battle, Deino wins! The victory goes to the challenger, Vixen!" Clyde said. Skyla started clapping her hands while I ran onto the field, plowing into my tired little dragon and hugging her tightly.

"We did it Lola! We did it we did it we did it!" I yelped, jumping up and down with her in my arms. Lola crooned and rubbed her face against my neck.

'_I knew we would. We always do when you think clearly. You knew exactly what we could do going into the fight this time. That's why we won. I'm glad you're my trainer._' Lola said as she warbled, and I hugged her tighter as Skyla walked up to us, her Swanna limping up beside her but otherwise alright, and I frowned.

"Your Skarmory made me angry, so I think I went a little overboard with that Crunch and Blast Burn. Will she be okay?" I asked. Skyla laughed and waved dismissively at me.

"She'll be fine. Skarmory pisses off everyone, as does Swanna. You should see me do a battle for badge 7 or 8, now THAT is chaos." She said with a laugh, her Swanna joining her. Lola and I started to laugh as well when Skyla held out her hand, a shiny badge glistening in her gloved palm.

"As a trainer, I should be sad about losing, but as a gym leader and your friend, I'm happy for you and glad you won. This Jet Badge is proof of that. Congratulations Vixen." She said as I shifted Lola in my arms and took the pendent. It was a light blue feather that reminded me of the wide, open sky just outside the gym, with a little pattern on the bottom that looked like a bird or a talon. Setting Lola down, I let Sarah and Sorrel out of their pokeballs, both having recovered enough from the battle, to let them look at the prize for their hard work. Sorrel plucked the badge from my hand and stared at it in admiration, leaning down and pinning it on my lanyard. I leaned in and pulled all three pokemon into a group hug before I recalled all but Lola, standing to look at Skyla.

"Thanks for everything, Skyla, really. We learned a lot and got a ton out of our first battle." I told her, making her smile.

"No problem. It's my job to help you learn and grow. So, where are you headed next?" She asked, tilting her head. I blinked quickly a few times before I grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of my head softly.

"I have no idea. I think maybe we'll relax here for a little while before we decide on where to go." I said. Skyla smiled and reached out to grab my shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

"Alright well when you decide on it, let me know. I'll fly you myself." She said happily. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at her and crossed my arms.

"Does the Pokemon League have anything to do with that?" I asked. I swear, Grimsley was so ridiculous with how protective he could be. I mean yeah, I'm danger-prone, but I'm not helpless dammit!

"Nope. They did send a memo to the gym leaders to look out for you and help you when we could, but this is strictly personal. I wanna thank you not only for giving me a good battle, but for fixing that fan too." She said, petting her Swanna.

After a little more talking, Lola and I left the gym to go to the pokemon center and get some help for my injured pokemon. While Nurse Joy took my pokemon to get treatment, I stood by the window and looked out at the beautiful sky above us. As I stared into the wild blue yonder, I couldn't help but smile as one thought filled my mind.

It looked just like the Jet Badge.

TBC

Okay in case you guys were confused on this, Vixen did NOT get Ra ra last chapter. The Master Ball that Carina threw at her was an empty one. See, you get a Master Ball as soon as you hit Mistralton City in BW2. I forgot about that when I picked up the story again. Having Carina give her one was my way around it XD

I swear Skyla will be the only person other than Carina, Vixen, and N who can talk to pokemon. I thought it'd make the ability seem less mystical and more, special if that makes any sense. That's part of the reason why the final battle between Deino and Swanna wasn't a telepathy fight. The other part has to do with the fact that I KNOW what all the attacks are and do. Vixen doesn't. I'm trying to keep Vixen's knowledge limited and whatnot.

Sorry it took so long to get this out guys. I had to deal with some more insomnia. I'll make it up to you with a couple of fun chapters. I need to set up some more plot, so I'll do it in a fun way with a certain pokemon.


	45. Chapter 44: A New Friend

I watched the clouds gently float in the sky, surrounded by my pokemon, as we laid in the tall grass of Route 7. I yawned and turned onto my side, leaning into Zachary to cuddle his soft fur so I could take a short nap. I was just about to fall asleep when I heard my pokemon chatter, and Lola was pressing into my mind fiercely, making me groan.

"What do you want Lola?" I mumbled, opening my mind up.

'_We gotta move! That Zebstrika is pissed!'_ She said, making my eyes widen. I bolted upright and saw a very angry Zebstrika stomp on the ground. The white stripes on its body flashed with electricity while it glared at me, and I was prepared to fight when I heard a soft cry. Zebstrika reared up and looked up at the raised walkway, and I followed its gaze to see a colorful, horselike pokemon staring at us. I grabbed my bag from inside Sarah's shell and pulled out my pokedex to scan the pokemon.

"_Keldeo, the Colt Pokemon. When a fire from war destroyed its home, the Musketeers adopted Keldeo and raised it as their own._" It said as the pokemon jumped down into the grass, running between us and Zebstrika. Zebstrika snorted and started grunting angrily at Keldeo, but Keldeo didn't move aside from nodding at it every so often. When Zebstrika's chatter died down, Keldeo turned to look at me, giving me a warm smile as it trotted over to me, sticking its hoof out to me and tapping my shoulder.

'_Excuse me, move a little bit?_' It said in a childish voice that reminded me of one of Cheren's younger students. It pushed me more firmly with its hoof and I stood up and moved while Keldeo walked over to where I sat, digging its hoof in the dirt where I was laying and stepped back. I leaned down and saw a small cache of Cheri Berries, and I smacked my forehead. I turned around and looked at the angry Zebstrika and gave it an apologetic bow while Keldeo herded my pokemon away.

"I'm sorry Zebstrika, I didn't know there were berries under there. You hid it too well." I said. Zebstrika snorted and stomped its hoof again, looking at me with an impatient glare. I felt something tap the sides of my legs, and the next thing I knew I was sitting on Keldeo's back while it carried me back to the road where my pokemon were waiting.

'_Not a good idea to try to reason with Zebstrika. They aren't necessarily the most understanding pokemon in the world._' It said as it let me get down from its back before sitting down to look at me with a smile.

"Somehow, I am reminded of my encounter with a Scolipede." I said as deadpan as I could, making Keldeo laugh.

'_Yeah, those aren't fun to mess with either. Trust me on that one, I couldn't sit for a week the first time I met one. Those horns are sharper than they look._' It told me, and I couldn't help but laugh myself. Keldeo and I locked eyes and stared at one another, and I started to sit down when I felt myself picked up and put on Sarah's shell. I leaned down to be level with Keldeo again and tilted my head at it.

"So you're a Musketeer?" I asked.

'_Yup._' It replied happily.

"And you just saved me from a pokemon who thought I was stealing from it?" I asked, tilting my head the other way.

'_Uh-huh._' Keldeo nodded as it said this.

"You DO realize I'm human right? Just a small one?" I asked, thoroughly confused now.

'_You don't look that small to me, just a couple of inches shorter than I am._' It said with a trace a humor in its mental voice.

"And you don't have a problem with this?" I asked, blinking slowly at it.

'_Why would I? I've never met a human who was shorter than me who wasn't a child. I mean, I like human children as much as the next pokemon, but it's still exciting to find a human who is actually experienced, yet is smaller than me._' It said, giving me a mischievous, toothy grin. I narrowed my eyes at the grinning pokemon, even though it was unfazed.

"That's not what I meant. I was taught to stay away from the Musketeers in school because they don't like humans. When I met Cobalion, it was ready to rip my face off and tear me apart. You, on the other hand, are acting like I'm your long-lost friend or something. What gives?" I asked it. Keldeo's grin faded into a gentle smile as it looked me over.

'_Well, my masters taught me that humans were selfish demons that we need to protect pokemon against, but other pokemon have told me the opposite. So I decided to go out and see for myself so I could make my OWN judgements on humans, and it turns out, they are really nice and fun! Some humans have tried to capture me, but most of the humans I met were happy enough just to play._' It said as it got up and looked at the sky.

'_So I decided that I won't just protect pokemon, I'll protect humans too. Everyone is people in some way, so I'll defend every last one when they need it._' It said as its tail swished, and I laid down on Sarah's shell, allowing myself to relax and watch Keldeo.

"That's very sweet of you Keldeo, and brave too. I bet the other Musketeers weren't happy about this." I said, making Keldeo look down with sad eyes.

'_I-I don't know. When I decided to go see humans for myself, I kinda ran away because they would have tried to stop me. I haven't seen my masters for a long, long time._' It said sadly. I frowned as I sat up on Sarah's shell.

"I bet they're worried about you. Do you miss them?" I asked. Keldeo said nothing as it sat down, nodding slowly. I looked around at my pokemon, who looked like they wanted to help Keldeo but didn't know how, and Lola warbled softly.

'_What should we do Vixen?_' She asked. I looked back at the miserable Keldeo and grinned as an idea hit me.

'_Follow my lead._' I said to Lola as I slid down from Sarah's shell and snuck up on Keldeo. When I got close enough, I rushed forward and pushed Keldeo over before running into the tall grass.

"Tag! You're it!" I called as my pokemon scattered, and I heard a surprised Keldeo get up and gallop after me.

For the next few hours, my pokemon and I played with Keldeo, running through the grass and hiding in the trees and bushes. All of Keldeo's worries were forgotten as it laughed with us, and our fun had carried us to the foot of Twist Mountain. I remembered the stories that Carina had told me about it, and I looked up to see someone in front of the entrance. Keldeo trotted up beside me and tilted its head at the person.

'_Who is that?_' It asked.

"I can't tell from here. Can I stand on your back for a sec?" I asked. Keldeo leaned down and helped me get on its back, and it stood up slowly while I stood up on it, and the added height allowed me to identify the person, and I cupped my hands over my mouth.

"HEY MARSHAL! DOWN HERE!" I yelled, startling Keldeo. The person at the entrance to Twist Mountain turned around at my voice, and they began climbing down while I fell from Keldeo's back, the impact cushioned by a quick-reacting Lola. I heard soft footsteps in front of me, and I looked up to see Marshal staring down at me. He leaned down and reached his hand out, and I grasped it so he could pull me up.

"You must be Grimsley's apprentice. Vixen right?" He asked. I dusted myself off while my pokemon gathered around me, discreetly putting themselves between Marshal and Keldeo. I smiled and shook his hand after I stood and gave him a friendly smile.

"Yep. How is he? Is he alright?" I asked. Marshal nodded and crossed his arms.

"Yeah he's fine now. Although she is narcoleptic, Caitlin knows her medicine. He's even taking challengers again, but we're still trying to keep him in his chambers just as a precaution. He wants to see you again though." He told me. I smirked and just shook my head.

"I bet he does. He's such a Kangaskhan." I said, making Marshal laugh.

"Indeed. He's changed considerably since he met you. He used to be so cocky and proper and aloof, but you really mellowed him out. So on behalf of the Pokemon League, thank you so much." He said, ending with a bow. I blushed and started digging my toe in the dirt.

"Well uh, you're welcome. I didn't really do anything though. So uh, what are you doing out here? If Master is taking challenges, shouldn't you?" I asked, tilting my head. Marshal sighed and straightened up, turning to the mountain behind us.

"Ordinarily I would be, but I had to come check Twist Mountain. The Western entrance collapsed and I've been trying to clear it, but even with all my pokemon helping it's still dangerous in there." He told me, and I frowned. I wasn't going to be able to explore the mountain that kicked Carina's ass after all. Keldeo walked forward and stared at the mountain, leaping up with a splash of water to look at the entrance.

'_Hmm, this was done by humans. I've noticed this a lot in Unova, people keep destroying mountains. Why?_' It asked, making its way back to me and Marshal. Marshal grinned and waved at the horse pokemon, finally acknowledging it.

"Nice to meet you Keldeo. I used to work with Terrakion on Victory Road until those caves were destroyed too." He told it, catching Keldeo by surprise.

'_You met with Terrakion? And you're alive to talk about it? That doesn't sound like him._' It said, tilting its head. Marshal simply grinned and reached out to gently pet Keldeo's nose.

"Yeah well, I guess having a Fighting Affinity is enough redemption for him. Anyway I used to help him close off areas that were for pokemon only, and make sure trainers didn't bother him. But then the mountain collapsed. That poor little girl." He said, sighing at the painful memory. I frowned as the two talked, thinking about Keldeo's words as I flashed back to when I met Cobalion, and then it hit me.

"Team Plasma." I said, drawing Marshal and Keldeo's attention.

"Huh?" Marshal asked.

'_Team Plasma? What about them?_' Keldeo asked, tilting its head. I looked down at Lola closely and turned to her mind.

'_Lola, I-._' I began, but she held up a paw to stop me.

'_Save it, it makes sense to me, but even I agree we should consult her first._' She relented. I grinned as I brought my wrist up, dialing the number on my X-Transceiver.

"_Hello?_" Shauntal asked as her face appeared on the screen.

"Shauntal, I wanna ask you something, and I want you to really think on it. You might be able to use it for a story." I started, which made her smile absently.

"_Really? Let's hear it! The best kinds of stories are the ones where multiple people contributed._" She replied. I took a deep breath as I organized my thoughts, with a little help from Lola.

"Team Plasma has Kyurem, and I think I know how they did it. All the mountains that have been collapsing in the last few years, what if that was them trying to find Kyurem and or isolate it?" I said. Shauntal's expression never changed, and I was going to repeat myself, but then she perked up and her creepy smile got even wider.

"_That is BRILLIANT! You're right, it would be a fascinating story to write. But there needs to be an end. Something that will make such an endeavor make sense. Perhaps the answer lies in Lacunosa._" She said, grabbing her chin.

"Lacunosa? That place near the Giant Chasm where Kyurem is said to live? But wait, there have been all kinds of rumors about Kyurem being there, why tear up the other mountains in Unova?" Marshal said, making Shauntal snort.

"_You know nothing of my work. If an author wants to be taken seriously, then they have to do ALL of their research. Even one plothole can ruin your career if it is big enough. What you can't justify right away, you acknowledge until you can._" She said, which made Marshal glare at my X-Transceiver. Shauntal ignored it and turned to me, though her eyes were still out of focus.

"_Vixen, you look like you are at Twist Mountain, yes? Surely that means you have Skyla's badge. Ask her to take you to Lentimas town. Reversal Mountain has quite a few legends itself, there might be something there with the answers we seek._" She told me, and I smiled.

"Alright, but what are you going to do?" I asked. Shauntal waved dismissively at me through the phone.

"_I'm gonna do some research on Kyurem. I'll call you to bounce some ideas for the plot off you from time to time if you want?_" She said, tilting her head at me. I nodded at her through the phone with a smile.

"Please do. Oh, and here's a plot twist for you. Got a pencil handy?" I asked. Shauntal scrambled for the tool and gave me the go-ahead to continue.

"I met Carina and Reshiram, er, Ra ra at the top of the Celestial Tower. After she got done throwing a tantrum about Kyurem's disappearance, she told me that when she, Zekrom and Kyurem were born, she felt a 4th thing separate from them, but they can't tell what it is. She said Zekrom thinks it's Victini, but she doesn't think it's sentient. How do we justify that?" I asked. Shauntal's pencil scratched at the pad, and when she finished she thought for a moment before turning back to the screen.

"_Hmm, that IS a good plot twist. Now to find out how to make sense of it. I'd say Kyurem would have the answers, but we can't exactly go ask it. Drayden would be the next best thing._" She said, making me tilt my head.

"Drayden?" I asked, and Marshal shouted and let up, startling me.

"Of course! If anyone would know anything about Kyurem, it'd be him! Drayden is the Gym Leader of Opelucid City. He's a Dragon Type Gym Leader and he knows about every single Dragon legend there is." He exclaimed, and Shauntal nodded at him.

"_Yep, and Opelucid is right next to Lacunosa. You'll be able to do some great research! I wish I could come with you, but I'm needed here, and so are you Marshal._" She said, adding that last part to Marshal, who snorted and crossed his arms.

"I'll be there as soon as I can get this place closed off." He said. I rolled my eyes as I thanked Shauntal for her help, hanging up the X-Transceiver and turning to Marshal and Keldeo.

"Okay, so we've got a game plan. Long story short, Shauntal thinks Team Plasma was just trying to cover all the bases in their search for Kyurem, and if we want to have a chance to figure out what Team Plasma is doing before they do it, then we need to take a close look at the legends of Unova. So I guess I'm heading to Lentimas Town." I said, standing up straight. Keldeo smiled as it turned around, facing the mountain.

'_I'll help you seal off the entrance so that no one gets hurt. Stand back._' It said as it started glowing, a circle of rocks floating around it. With a howl, Keldeo reared up and flung the rocks up to the entrance of Twist Mountain, causing another cave-in. Rocks slid down from the mountain and blocked the entrance, ensuring nothing would get through. Marshal grunted as he looked over Keldeo's handiwork, and he turned to the two of us with a smile.

"Thanks. I'm gonna gather my pokemon and head back. Be careful you guys." He said, and with a final salute Marshal leapt into the forest, and Keldeo and I turned to each other with a smile.

"Wanna come with us? You'll have to go into a pokeball, but I swear to Arceus that I will free you when the coast is clear. It'll be easier to sneak you past the crowds if you are in a ball." I said, kneeling down so that Keldeo towered over me. It looked me over uneasily, trying to assess my trustworthiness, and then giggled, leaning down to nudge me gently with its nose.

'_Okay, I'll trust you. Since you earned Cobalion's trust, that's good enough for me. Get on my back and I'll take you back to Mistralton, then you can catch me._' It said with a warm smile. I returned the smile with one of my own as I recalled my pokemon, climbing onto Keldeo's back and holding onto its crest tightly as it dashed off into the forest.

It was time to leave.

TBC

We've been in Mistralton for awhile, but it's not the longest we spent in a city. The Castelia Arc took TEN chapters to get through. Still, I feel like we've come a long way since the Driftveil Tournament.

And Yay Vixen has a Keldeo! Now I swear, this is a Lola-Only thing. According to the Avatar Challenge, I can't have a Keldeo (or ANY of the Musketeers for that matter), but don't worry. She's only befriending it and sneaking it past people who wanna catch it. Keldeo's our buddy :3 It was nice to hear from Shauntal again, wasn't it? Now the only member of the Elite 4 we have yet to meet is Caitlin. I'll find a way to sneak Madam Narcolepsy in Undella XD

And with this, I have covered up all the plotholes I had up to this point. I think. My checklist for this arc was:

Professor Juniper & the Master Ball [x]

Carina and N [x]

Drayden & Kyurem [x]

and Keldeo [x]

I had to switch some things around, but I got everything covered. I wanted to include Keldeo in this because, as a Musketeer, it has an important role in the plot, even though BW2 pretty much told it to fuck off.

Next chappy!


	46. Chapter 45: Skipping Twist Mountain

As I passed the airport on my way back to the gym, I couldn't help but shudder and be secretly grateful to Skyla. The cargo service and airport was PACKED with people trying to get themselves or their packages to all parts of Unova. It didn't take a genius to figure out I'd be waiting in line FOREVER just to get my plane ticket. It wasn't the kind of organized chaos that the Virbank Ferry Service was either. If the all-pokemon security force was anything to go by, then public flying was DEFINITELY out of the question for me. I finally made it up to the gym, with Lola nervously beside me.

'_We're just gonna sit in the lobby right? I REALLY don't like those fans._' She said, shrinking down at the door.

"I don't like them anymore than you do. I promise we won't even be near the door into the gym." I said, walking up to the entrance. Before I could even open the hatch, Clyde poked his head out and smiled at me.

"Just wait out here, Skyla is coming." He said, retreating back into the gym. Lola and I heaved a huge sigh of relief and walked over to one of the benches. Lola hopped onto the bench next to me and laid down, resting her head on my lap. I looked around me cautiously before I grabbed two of my pokeballs, holding them out to let the pokemon inside them free. Two Keldeo burst from the ball, and they turned around to give me a soft smile.

"Zachary, can you cover Keldeo in an illusion that makes it look like a boring pokemon, or a person?" I asked. The Keldeo on the right nodded and flipped backward, turning into my purple and gray Zoroark. He purred softly as his eyes glowed, the air rippling around him and Keldeo until he looked like a normal, red-maned Zoroark while Keldeo turned into a small, red-haired boy. Keldeo looked down at itself and made a surprised sound, jumping up.

'_Woah! I'm human! _' It said gleefully. I laughed and leaned back on the bench, my back pressing against the fence.

"Well, almost. Zachary's illusions are VERY convincing, so you'll feel like a person if someone touches you, but don't go anywhere you don't think you'd fit as a pokemon. That would break Physics." I said with a snicker. Zachary and Keldeo chuckled along with me as they approached the bench while we waited in silence.

'_So, what are we waiting on?_' Keldeo asked.

"We're waiting for Skyla. She's got her own plane, so we're gonna ask her to take us to Lentimas Town. As soon as we get there and get out of sight, I'll break your pokeball." I said, reminding it that I still remembered my promise. Keldeo smiled and reached its "hand" out, patting my knee softly.

'_Don't worry about that, I'm not in a rush to get away from you. You're nice and fun to be around._' It chirped, still smiling at me. I smiled back at Keldeo and resisted the urge to pet it, looking up as Skyla and Swanna walked out of the gym and jogged towards us.

"Hiya Vixen! Clyde told me you came back. Did you decide on where to go?" She asked, tilting her head. I smiled and nodded, petting Lola's neck softly.

"Yeah, think you can get me to Lentimas Town?" I asked. Skyla's smile got wider as she stepped aside, gesturing to the plane behind her.

"Yep! Hop aboard, I'll take you there right now!" She chirped. I blinked in surprise at her as Zachary and Lola stood up, heading for the plane while Keldeo followed.

"Really? Now? Don't you have to run your gym?" I asked, tilting my head. She shook her head and continued smiling, turning on her heel and making her way to the plane.

"Nope. For some reason, I don't get very many challengers. I doubt someone will show up in the few hours I'll be away, and even if they do, unless they are in a hurry, they can just relax in the city." She replied.

"I can't imagine why." I muttered under my breath, making Lola snicker.

Skyla opened up the hatch on her plane and allowed us to climb the stairs first before she and Swanna followed. When everyone was on board, she closed the hatch and told me to go ahead and let everyone else out, and that Zachary and Keldeo could stop hiding. I would have asked her how she knew, but then I remembered her Swanna. So I shrugged it off and let Sorrel and Sarah out of their pokeballs while Skyla and Swanna took to the cockpit.

"Everyone fasten yourselves, the plane tends to jump a bit during takeoff and landing." Skyla said as the plane started moving. I sat in one of the seats with Lola in my lap while the other pokemon took a seat around the rest of the plane, though Sarah had to wedge herself between seats since she couldn't exactly fit in one. We braced ourselves as the plane threw itself into the sky, and Lola and I silently whimpered as the plane bounced a little bit.

Soon the plane evened out, and I could barely tell we were in the air. It didn't take long for the pokemon to relax. Sorrel and Sarah ran up and down the plane while Zachary curled up in a seat and slept. Despite the large size of the plane, it was clearly not meant for human transport. There were only two rows of three seats on either side of the plane, and the rest was just empty space and windows. Keldeo raced around the plane with Sorrel and Sarah, looking out the windows in wonder, while I relaxed in my seat with Lola.

"So Lola. You still wanna be a Hydreigon?" I asked sarcastically. Lola snorted as she turned her head in my lap.

'_I hate flying machines. At this point, I don't care for the power, I just want wings so that you won't make me do these damn things anymore. I enjoyed the theme park, but I've had enough of this fake flying business._' She said bitterly. I smirked as I laid my head back in the seat, allowing my ears to pop.

"Amen, Lola. Amen." I said, turning to the window with a smile.

"Look guys, it's Twist Mountain." I said, catching the attention of all of the pokemon. Even Zachary woke up and picked a window while Sorrel, Sarah, and Keldeo threw themselves at one, making sounds that expressed awe.

It was indeed an awesome sight. Blues and greens blended with whites and blacks perfectly. Twist Mountain was less of a mountain and more of a mountain region, for lots of tips reached up at us at various heights. What we didn't fly over, Skyla went around, and I could see why it was called TWIST Mountain. The tips and trails seemed to spiral downwards into a bowl, and I found myself lamenting the fact that I was flying over it instead of going through it.

"Man, Twist Mountain looks like it is so much fun to go through." I said, making Skyla laugh.

"I like flying over it better, because it's prettier, but yeah. It is pretty fun to go through." She told me, her Swanna crooning in agreement. I sighed and leaned my head against the window, looking into the bowl.

"Oh well, maybe when all this Team Plasma nonsense is done, I can go through it. So how long until we get to Lentimas Town, Skyla?" I asked, turning to look at her. Skyla was silent for a little while as she thought it over.

"I'd say about an hour, hour and a half. It'll be dark when we get there. I suggest taking a nap or something, there's not much to look at after we leave Twist Mountain." She told me. I nodded at her and relaxed in my seat some more. Lola stuck her head out and found a lever on the seat. She pulled it, and the back of the seat reclined, allowing me to lay down. I gave Lola a grateful pet and snuggled her as I fell into a nice, soft sleep, the sounds of happy pokemon resonating around me.

I didn't feel like I had been asleep for long when Keldeo's voice softly pulled me out of sleep. I stretched in my seat and yawned as I opened my eyes, looking out the window. It was indeed dark, though lights dotted the land in front of us, and I assumed that was the airport. Skyla and Swanna adjusted themselves in their seats and Skyla briefly turned around to face us.

"Can everyone be quiet for a minute while I talk to the tower please?" Skyla said, and everyone in the cabin immediately silenced as Skyla returned to her previous position and put on a headset.

"This is Mistralton Gym Cargo Carrier A-90 to Lentimas Control Tower, requesting permission to land please respond." She said. I heard a bunch of static for a few minutes before we heard them respond.

"Lentimas Control Tower to Mistraltion Cargo Carrier A-90. I can see you coming in and I advise the Eastern runway, number 6." Said a male voice, and Skyla growled under her breath.

"Control Tower, I'm coming from the East, I'd have to circle around to make that runway, and my plane is too big to do that. I could hit someone if I do that. Isn't there a runway in the North or South I can use?" She asked.

"I'm very sorry ma'am, but that is the only runway big enough for you to land on. I am redirecting Air Traffic so you won't hit anyone, but if you want to land here, you HAVE to use that strip." The voice replied. Skyla sighed as Swanna turned around, chirping at us.

'_Swanna says we need to take our seats and buckle up, Skyla is going to have to make a pretty tight circle to make this landing. Oh, I don't like this Vixen._' Lola said, whining as she shrunk in my lap.

"Get hunkered down you guys, the plane is about to make a very sharp turn." I warned everyone. Sarah rushed to wedge herself between the seats while Sorrel and Keldeo sat on either side, each grabbing an opening in her shell and holding tightly while Zachary sat up, strapping himself in his seat. The plane jerked for a moment as Skyla began turning the plane. I felt myself pushing against the seatbelt as the plane tilted, and I tightened my grip on Lola. Skyla grunted with the effort of slowly turning the plane without stressing it too much, and before we knew it we touched down and slowed in a nice taxi until we came to a complete stop, and I quickly recalled everyone except Lola and unbuckled myself from my seat, standing up while Skyla and Swanna shut off the plane.

"Welcome to Lentimas Town! Thank you for flying Air-Skyla!" She said, making me giggle.

"Thanks so much for the lift Skyla. I really appreciate it. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't bring me here, because there is NO WAY in hell that I would have gone through the airport slash cargo service." I said, making her laugh heartily.

"I know right? That place is absolute chaos. It used to be organized chaos that was tolerable, but now that all the ferries are down, every airport in the region is getting flooded with passengers. Some places even had to reassign their human security guards and recruit pokemon ones because of the pandemonium." She said as I stretched. Skyla opened up the hatch of her plane and started to step down, with me, Lola, and Swanna close behind.

"Yuck. How did you get out of this mess?" I asked, tilting my head. Skyla turned around and grinned at me while she walked backwards.

"I use the airport control tower, but I'm not associated with the airport itself aside from letting them use my hangars. My family owns a cargo ferrying company, and all my business comes from that. We're not an airline, just a delivery service." She told me, making me confused.

"Then why does your plane have seats?" I asked.

"For the workers of course! You didn't think my pokemon and I lift all the heavy crates ourselves did you?" She asked, and I blushed in embarrassment.

"Oops." I muttered, making Skyla laugh.

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, Swanna and I are gonna go find someone to do a post-landing check of the plane, and see if anyone needs to commission us. You gonna be okay? I can see if the Lentimas Gym Leader is around?" She asked, tilting her head. I smiled and shook my head slowly at her.

"Naw it's fine. I have to hurry to Reversal Mountain. We're gonna let Keldeo go and then get through the mountain. Thanks for everything Skyla." I said, bowing at her. Skyla giggled again and pulled me into a brief hug before dashing off to the airport.

"Take care of yourself!" She shouted as Swanna glided beside her. I looked down at Lola and smiled, giving the fuzzy dragon a pet before I turned to the town and started walking off the tarmac. Before I did anything else, I needed to go find a nice, secluded spot.

After all, I still had to free Keldeo.

TBC

This is mainly a filler chapter whose sole purpose is scenery porn. I tried to make Twist Mountain sound as pretty as I possibly could. You can also say this was a brief look into airplanes and the politics of flying, mostly as a shootout to my Dad who is an aerospace engineer, but I will be the first to admit that most, if not all, of the airport/control tower/flying manuvers/etc probably isn't accurate in the slightest.

Also, there is no Gym Leader in Lentimas in the games, but for the sake of the story I implied that there is one in pretty much every city in Unova *and one on Route 4*. Vixen will only get badges from the gym leaders of BW2.

Also, I won a troll fight! Yay me! It took a long chain of PMs, but I think the person finally realized I was taking them for a ride and gave up XD.

I'll get the next chappy out soon guys :3


	47. Chapter 46: A Trainer's Worthiness

I had found a nice little corner behind the pokemon that was pretty isolated from the rest of Lentimas Town, and this is where I chose to free my new friend. Am I being really stupid for releasing a legendary pokemon from my team? Some people would think so, but not me. I mean yeah, Keldeo was nice to be around, and I was thrilled to have "owned" it, if one could own a legend, for such a short period. But at the same time, Keldeo was my friend, and it deserved better than a mediocre trainer like me. It deserved to live its own life, use its own powers however it chose, and not have to put up with some scrawny child barking orders at it all the time. That's not to say my other pokemon don't, but they CHOSE to come with me, and they started out a lot smaller than I did, growing in size and power only with my influence. Keldeo's rise to power had nothing to do with me though, so no part of the water horse belongs to me except its astonishing trust in me to be its friend and to keep my promise of not imprisoning it.

'_That's beautiful, but aren't you over thinking it a little bit?_' Lola said suddenly as she padded beside me, her claws scratching the dirt. I stopped midstep and blinked several times while she sat down in front of me.

"You heard all that?" I asked, tilting my head.

'_I hear all of your little soliloquies. You need to guard your thoughts better, especially if a legendary is nearby._' She said, and I immediately blushed from embarrassment until I remembered her question.

"Wait, what do you mean I'm over thinking that?" I asked, tilting my head.

'_I may not be vicious and stupid and chompy like other Deino, but I still have my pride as one. Do you honestly think I would have let you start out with me if you were so weak and unworthy? Or any of the others for that matter?_' She asked with a snort. I blinked at her and knelt down in front of her.

"Well, no I guess not. But, no offense, you guys aren't legendary pokemon." I said, making Lola snort again.

'_Sarah and I might as well be. Even Terrakion avoided my pack when our parents were nearby._' She said with an air of arrogance, making me chuckle.

"Then you think I should keep Keldeo?" I asked. Lola shook her head and stretched her neck out to me, nuzzling my shoulder.

'_No, it's a good idea to keep that promise, especially since Cobalion and the other Musketeers will annihilate you if they catch you with it in a pokeball. But I want to make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. I bet if you asked it, Keldeo would allow you to keep it if the wrath of its masters was not a serious risk._' She told me, warbling while she continued to stroke my shoulder with her nose. I sighed and reached up to encircle her head, hugging her softly.

"I know, but it still wouldn't be fair to it. I pretty much begged it to let me have it." I continued.

'_Only because you knew that was the safest way to let it come with you to Lentimas. You are far from selfish and undeserving, and I will violently dismember anyone who tries to say otherwise._' She said with a snort. I chuckled and let her head go, rubbing her horn affectionately.

"You know a lot of big words." I said with a chuckle. Lola grinned toothily at me in response.

'_It's Zachary's fault. He spent so much time masquerading as a human in Virbank before you caught him that he was able to learn a lot of different words. He can't use them on other humans, but he does sound smart to pokemon. He decided to share some of it with me since I can talk to you._' She told me, and I just shook my head slowly while I laughed, standing up.

"Thank Arceus Zachary's on our side. We'd be screwed if he ever decided to raise a pokemon army and takeover the world." I said, starting back towards the secret spot.

'_Nah, he's too much of a pansy. He'll fight for you, and really doesn't like people making you sad or angry, but Arceus forbid he ever does anything more than think angry thoughts in any other situation._' She replied while I sat down in the dirt, grabbing Keldeo's pokeball.

"What about the Driftveil Gym battle?" I asked, turning the button on the pokeball.

'_That was a one-time thing. He doesn't feel like he's as badass as Sorrel made him out to be, so he was kinda trying to make a point._' She told me, moving out of the way when Keldeo burst out of its pokeball in a flash of blue, looking at us with a wide grin.

'_Thanks Vixen._' It said, sitting down in front of us.

"No problem Keldeo. I told you I'd let you go." I said with a smile. Keldeo giggled and stretched out in front of me.

'_I knew you would. I never doubted your promise in the slightest._' It told me, swishing its tail. Lola started muttering to Keldeo, blocking off her mind so that I could have no clue about what she was saying, and Keldeo's smile got bigger as it sat up suddenly.

'_What's this about you not feeling worthy of my power? Shame on you Vixen, you have a pure heart and a lot of cunning. I learned that in the short time I've known you. I would love to stay with you if it wasn't dangerous to do so, but don't doubt yourself, alright? And take it from me. I may be eternally young, but I'm a legendary pokemon. Many have attempted to catch me before, but you are the only one I've ever allowed to succeed. NEVER question a legendary's choice of trainers. It's insulting._' It said, nodding firmly at me. I smiled at Keldeo and stood up, walking over and draping myself over the water horse in a tight hug. Keldeo craned its neck and pushed its snout into my back to return the hug.

"Thanks guys. I needed that. So, ready to go?" I asked, pulling away from Keldeo. Keldeo smiled and nodded at me, standing up at the same time as Lola.

'_Yep. Want a lift?_' It asked, turning around.

"Only if you can carry me AND Lola. Not that I don't trust you to be strong enough to protect me, but ever since an incident on Route 5 I'm really not comfortable with not having one of my own pokemon with me." I said, digging my toe into the dirt. Keldeo smiled and turned back around to face me with a soft smile.

'_It's alright, I understand completely._ _I think I COULD carry you both, but walking beside you is fun too._' It said, turning around again and trotting out, making me blink in confusion.

"But, people will see you?" I said as Lola and I followed.

'_So? You forget, I LIKE humans. I'm not trying to hide from them. Just the ones that care more about what I can do than about me._' It said as we turned into the town. People stared at Keldeo in wonder, and at me with a sort of jealousy that made me uncomfortable, and I drew closer to Lola, who started growling. I barely noticed Keldeo looking back at us while it walked as Lola's growls persisted.

'_Just relax. I won't let anyone hurt you._' She said, making me confused for a minute. I brushed it off as jetlag as Keldeo turned its head back, making a beeline for the pokemon center.

'_Let's get a room and get some sleep. A good rest will do us good._' Keldeo said, if a bit uneasily. Was it worried about Lola's behavior too? I remained silent as the three of us went into the pokemon center, and I recalled a reluctant Lola into her pokeball and set it along with the others on the counter for Nurse Joy.

"Can we have a room too? Keldeo isn't my pokemon, obviously, but it does like being near me, so we'll need something big enough for it and my pokemon." I said. Nurse Joy smiled warmly at me as one of her Audino put my pokeballs in a tray and carried it away.

"Sure thing, here, you can use this room in the West wing. We normally save this room for when we bring in large patients from the mountain, but you can use it for tonight." She said, handing me a key while another Audino stepped out from behind a counter. I thanked the woman and followed Audino with Keldeo beside me. We walked down a long hallway until we got to a door at the end of the hall, and Audino opened it and let us inside. The room was indeed very spacious, and would make sure that no one would feel claustrophobic. I thanked Audino and pulled out my pokeblock, handing one to the Audino, who gave me a grateful sigh in return as it left us.

As I walked inside and set my stuff down, I noticed Keldeo wasn't with me, and I turned to see it standing in the doorway. Keldeo looked like it was in deep thought, and it didn't like what it was thinking, because it's face kept getting more and more stern until it looked outright angry.

"Keldeo, are you okay?" I asked, snapping it out of its thoughts. Keldeo looked up at me and smiled warmly, though the warmth didn't reach its eyes, and it shook its head.

'_I'm fine, just thinking about something. Listen, I gotta go out for awhile. You gonna be okay while I'm gone?_' It asked, tilting its head. Keldeo was hiding something. I didn't know what, but it definitely was. I wanted to ask what, but how do you ask a legendary pokemon to spill its secrets without sounding demanding? Instead I just gave it a soft smile and nodded.

"Yeah I'll be fine. It's too dark for me to be out and about without a pokemon, so I'll probably just grab something from the cafeteria, get my pokemon and sleep." I said truthfully, though with a line of suspicion that let Keldeo know I knew something was up. Keldeo just nodded and turned in the doorway, its hooves clacking as it trotted down the hall. I sighed and flopped on the bed, stretching my back on it while my feet hung over the side.

I waited for a couple of hours, entertaining myself with TV and the internet, but Keldeo never returned. I was kinda sad about that, I really thought it wanted to explore Reversal Mountain with me and my pokemon, but I guess it had more important duties. I didn't dwell on it as I got up to retrieve my pokemon. As I laid in bed, Zachary on one side of me and Lola on the other, I couldn't help but worry about Keldeo.

What was going on?

TBC

Thus began the start of the craziest, most exciting arc since the Castelia Fiasco. That's why I ended it here, it'll span several pages otherwise.

And now to clarify a point that Sketchy Smeargle brought up. Given all the crazy shit that's been happening with Vixen, and the fact that she's a close friend of The Hero of Truth's, pretty much everyone in the pokemon league will quickly accept whatever she brings to the table, legendary pokemon or not. It's kind of a given that she'd get in close with them to stop the Team Plasma problem. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it XD. (Actually, Marshal's been desensitized because of the Carina/N battle, and because he used to work closely with Terrakion. Skyla's excuse is less glamorous. She's the victim of my own laziness, and I really just wanted to get in the air XD)

Next chapter soon.


	48. Chapter 47: Let Science Lead the Way

When I woke up the next morning, Keldeo was still gone, and Lola was still kinda cranky. During breakfast she isolated herself in a corner of the room and closed off her mind. If one of my other pokemon got too close, she growled at them until they left. When I tried to get close, she would growl and snap at me in my mind to back off. What happened to my cuddly little dragon? No matter how much I asked her, Lola would not tell me why she was acting so strange, and I resigned to clinging to Zachary, who did his best to comfort me.

After I composed myself, I began to get ready for my exploration. I dressed, brushed my teeth, and started rallying the pokemon. The entire time, Lola just sat in her corner and sulked. Over what, I still had no clue, for she blocked off her mind to me with no cracks for me to slip through. I was getting really worried for her, so I thought maybe some time in her pokeball would help her mellow out, and I'd keep Zachary or Sorrel out to comfort me. That idea went out the window though when she kept dodging the beam that would recall her, and I had no choice but to recall everyone else, grab my bag, and awkwardly make my way out of the pokemon center with a silent Lola beside me.

"I wonder what Reversal Mountain is like." I said as Lola and I strolled through Lentimas Town. Lola hummed, but made no other reaction to my words, and I decided to try again.

"Think Keldeo will catch up with us?" I asked her. Lola did nothing this time, and just focused on walking forward. I sniffled and started breathing shallowly, which caught her attention as she stopped and turned her face to me, her mouth tight.

"What's the matter with you Lola? Did I do something wrong?" I asked as tears poked my eyes. Lola just stood there, gritting her teeth and letting out a low, quiet groan, as though she was in pain.

'_No. You did nothing. Let's go._' She said, turning back around and starting again. I sniffled again and slowly followed after her, my gusto for the journey ahead lost in the grief for my pokemon. We passed by the Lentimas Gym, and for a moment, I considered going in and asking for a challenge. But with Lola's behavior and my inability to focus on anything else, it was better to just keep going.

We continued in silence until we left Lentimas Town. I looked up at Reversal Mountain in front of us and silently mouthed "wow" at it. Once again, it was more like a series of mountains. I could see smoke rising up from the top of the tallest mountain and some of its surrounding areas, and steam from others. Lola and I cautiously made our way on the dusty path, with me having to pick her up and carry her because of how much dust we were kicking up. I saw lots of eyes looking at us from the dust, but Lola's growls kept them from doing anything beyond staring at us as I walked down a set of crudely-made stairs.

The inside of the mountain was absolutely beautiful, if hot. Deep blues and reds and purples shined on the walls as lines of pure lava flowed in the walls, defying gravity, while watery channels went all over the ceiling, dripping occasionally.

"Wow, this place is astounding. I wonder why the lava isn't flowing freely?" I asked as I put Lola down, walking up to the wall towards the cracks where lava flowed. I reached up and started drawing my finger to it when I heard a soft cry.

'_If you do that, you will be the dumbest human that ever lived, and I will make fun of you mercilessly for it._' Keldeo's voice said. I turned around to see it standing in the entrance of the mountain, looking at me smugly.

"What do you mean? That's REAL lava?" I asked. Keldeo nodded as it trotted up to me and Lola.

'_Is it called lava when it's in a cave? Or do was still call it magma? Anyway, yes, it is real lava. Reversal Mountain is constantly changing and the lava flow shifts, but it's all controlled._' It said as it turned a corner, prompting me and Lola to follow.

"By what?" I asked. No matter how hard I tried, I could not think of a single pokemon who could control lava like that.

'_By the Heatran. There's a little colony of them inside Reversal Mountain that keeps the volcano stable. The lava flow changes because other Heatran colonies migrate here to raise their young, since Reversal Mountain's water makes it cooler and thus, ideal for raising babies._' Keldeo explained as we moved through the mountain.

"I thought Heatran was a legendary pokemon?" I asked, tilting my head. Keldeo nodded as it stopped, looking around.

'_They are._' It confirmed, but that made me more confused.

"I thought there was only one of every legend." I asked, and Keldeo hummed as it thought over my words.

'_That's true for most legendary pokemon, but not all legendary pokemon have The Original One's blessing. Only the ones who serve a greater purpose other than just being a badass pokemon is immortal. Heatran, Cresselia, Latios and Latias, legendary pokemon that have a set gender are powerful, and do indeed serve useful purposes, but they don't really offer anything that is vital for the world. There is no reason to include them in the order because that's just that many more souls Arceus has to whisk away to safety when Armageddon happens. When it's safe again, Mew recreates the pokemon that were lost, including the gendered legends._' It explained, and I listened intently to every word.

"But wait, just Cresselia? Why does Darkrai deserve immortality and not Cresselia? I thought Cresselia was the good one?" I asked, and Keldeo gave me a nasty look.

'_There are no bad pokemon. Darkrai's nightmares are beyond its control, and while Cresselia does indeed do a good job of countering that, we can live with a bad dream every now and then. Bad dreams are more necessary than good dreams because when Darkrai DOES influence its power, it does so to warn people of impending danger. Many lives have been saved because of Darkrai's nightmares. But it has a complex as it is from its own ability, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't repeat what you just said if you are ever in its presence._' It said with a snort, and I shied away, holding my hands up.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." I said defensively. Geez, I'm pissing off everyone today. Keldeo snorted and gave me a curt nod as it looked around the tunnels again, sighing.

'_Alright, well it's been a long time since I've been here. The tunnels have shifted too much. What do you wanna do? Run around and explore and potentially get lost, or go back out the other way and see if I can carry you over the mountain?_' It asked, looking at me. I thought over the options carefully, and a smile crept onto my face as I made my decision.

"I didn't get this far by playing it safe. Exploring the tunnels sounds like a lot of fun. Plus, I have to learn about the legends here anyway. Let's go." I said, starting for a random tunnel. Keldeo giggled as it trotted beside me and Lola, who was still fairly quiet. I tried not to let it bother me too much and focus instead on the beauty that surrounded us instead.

"Okay, so I get where the lava comes from, but what about the water? And why are there streaks of purple?" I asked. Keldeo looked up at the channels and tilted its head.

'_Well, Reversal Mountain was before my time, and even before my masters time, but there is a rumor that before Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem separated, they were one big dragon pokemon that had control over fire, electricity, and ice._'It said as Keldeo and Lola grabbed me, stopping me from stepping on a lava line.

"Oops, thanks. Should I sit down for this story?" I asked.

'_No, like I said I don't know the whole story. We'll be okay now, I was barely paying attention myself, I only reacted to Lola._' It said as the mentioned dragon snorted. I hummed as I thought over Keldeo's words, and I looked up at the water horse who looked at me curiously.

"Think we can find the Heatran? Maybe they know the whole story." I asked. Keldeo smiled as it looked around again.

'_We can try. Like I said they change the tunnels all the time to keep people and pokemon from finding them, even other legends. I think for what you're here for, we should give it a shot._' It said. I nodded and started forward again, this time being careful of the lava on the floor.

We wandered around the inside of Reversal Mountain, aimlessly searching for the Heatran, while we appreciated its beauty. Lola remained indifferent to us beyond making sure I didn't bump into anything, but Keldeo was very good company. It talked to me and occasionally tried to play, though we couldn't exactly start a game of tag in a cave where there was lava literally EVERYWHERE. I was still amazed by how calm it was while it flowed, and vowed to give the Heatran as much respect as I could.

As we came up to another tunnel, Lola stiffened and barked something at Keldeo, and I turned around to her passive face.

"What's wrong Lola? Did we find them?" I asked. Lola shook her head and grabbed Keldeo's tail in her mouth, pulling it back.

'_No, Colress is near. Don't let him find Keldeo._' She told me, and my eyes widened as I strained my ears, indeed hearing soft footsteps somewhere in the network of tunnels.

"Keldeo, hide." I said frantically, pushing it away from us while Lola continued to pull.

'_Who is Colress? Is he a bad guy?! If he is, I'm staying to protect you!_' It said, digging its hooves in defiantly.

"Nonono he's not a bad guy, he's a friend of mine. But he's a bit eccentric and power-obessed. He's been very helpful with helping my pokemon, and even helped me teach Lola Dragon Pulse, but I don't doubt for a second that he'd jump at the chance to study you. I'll let you know when's he's gone but please just GO!" I said, giving Keldeo one last good shove that knocked it off its feet. Keldeo stood up again and galloped away, but gave me a few parting words as Colress wandered into the cave where Lola and I stood.

'_I'll be watching you from a distance. If anything happens, I've got your back. Thanks Vixen._' It said as the man stopped in front of me, smiling warmly.

"Hello Vixen and Lola. I'm surprised to see you here." He said, and I straightened myself out, smiling awkwardly back at him.

"I was about to say the same thing about you Colress. Hi, by the way, hehe." I said. He tilted his head at me and regarded me with suspicion, bending down to be at eye level with me.

"Are you alright? You look flustered." He said with concern lacing his voice. I suddenly felt bad about hiding Keldeo from him, but I still had no idea what he was capable of, so I would keep Keldeo safe from him until I could figure him out. That didn't mean he would hurt my mission though.

"I'm fine, I'm just a bit...tired from wandering the caves. Maybe you can help me?" I asked, looking hopeful. Colress smiled as he stood up straighter.

"I'll do my best. What is it?" He asked.

"I've heard that there are Heatran inside Reversal Mountain. I wanna find them so I can learn about Reversal Mountain for a friend of mine. But I'm going in circles. Can you help me?" I asked, tilting my head. Colress considered my question for a moment as he took out his tablet, gently poking the touchscreen.

"Hmm, well I can run a thermal scan on the mountain. Given that they are fire pokemon who can control lava and magma, they should give off a lot of heat. But Reversal Mountain is big, it will take some time." He offered. I smiled and checked the ground, making sure there was no lava near me before I sat down.

"I've got time." I chirped. Colress nodded and reached into his pocket, pulling out a device. He put away his tablet, sitting down and replacing it with his laptop. As he began typing away on the computer, the device glowed and separated into hundreds of tiny floating sticks that vaguely resembled toothpicks, and they immediately flew off in multiple directions, and with a final click of the keys, Colress pushed the computer away from him and looked at me with a soft smile.

"So in about half an hour, we should be able to find the Heatran. What do you want to do in the meantime? A battle?" He asked, pulling out a pokeball. I looked at Lola and turned back to him with a shake of my head.

"No, not now. Lola's been acting really strange." I said sadly. Lola made no reaction to my words, which intrigued Colress as he leaned in to look at her. Lola growled and backed away from Colress. He took the hint and sat up again, looking at me with a sympathetic smile.

"That is quite strange. I know she never really liked me to begin with, but she never had a problem with me studying her. May I see the rest of your pokemon?" He asked. I nodded and took out my other pokeballs, tossing them up to let my pokemon out. Sorrel, Sarah and Zachary all burst out of their containers, opting to stand in between me and Colress in a semi-circle around me, and Colress stood up and smiled at them.

"These three have been acting fine, though Sarah's a bit more hyper than usual. It's just Lola." I said, and Colress nodded and brought out his tablet again.

"I see, may I take a look?" He asked. I nodded and patted each of the pokemon in front of him.

"Sure. Guys, let Colress study you okay? I won't let him hurt you but his findings could help me train you guys better." I told them. They reluctantly agreed and stayed still as Colress approached them carefully, putting a hand on Sarah first since I had singled her out. He rubbed her shell softly and brought his gloved hand up, which had a layer of dust and shell fragments on it. He frowned as he looked at me carefully, setting down his tablet so he could dust his hand off.

"Have you been taking care of her well?" He asked, and I blinked stupidly at him in response.

"Of course I have! Well, I've been trying to anyway. She hasn't eaten ever since she evolved, and she absolutely refuses to. She's also had a hard time battling, and has carried me around, but other than that I've been trying my best for her, and she doesn't seem unhappy to me." I said. Colress made a curious sound as he grabbed his tablet, brushing his fingers on the touchscreen and reading something in silence.

"How long has she been a Shelgon?" He asked, and I hummed while I thought it over.

"She evolved shortly before we met. It was during a battle with a Braviary and a Mandibuzz and she actually evolved when the Braviary picked her up and dropped her." I said. Colress smiled suddenly as he reached out to pat my pokemon softly, stirring up more of the weird dust.

"Then she is perfectly fine. She's going to be a Salamence very soon." He said, and I almost fell backwards from the shock, sputtering and blinking wildly.

"Wait wait wait what?! How do you know?!" I asked. Colress chuckled as he turned his tablet, revealing a webpage detailing Shelgon.

"Shelgon shells are made of the sturdiest tissues in the entire world. The shell can withstand just about everything life throws at it. It won't break down and rot like this except for one of two reasons: the pokemon was neglected as a Bagon slash is being neglected, or it's getting ready to evolve. Shelgon typically evolve after a certain amount of time, which can be sped up by battling with it." He explained, and I looked at Sarah in amazement, running my hand over the back of her shell which started to crumble where my hand touched. I rubbed my fingers softly, feeling the fragments turn over in the pads, and I smiled gratefully at Colress.

"Thanks so much." I said as I stood up, looking at my pokemon lovingly. Colress smiled as he produced a test tube from one of his pockets, looking at me hopefully.

"May I have your hand? I have never had a chance to study Shelgon's shell because I've never encountered one before evolution." He said. I nodded and held my hand out, and he gently took it in his own, softly rubbing the edge of the test tube over it to collect the dust that fell into it. He released my hand then and capped off the tube, putting it in his pocket before bringing out a wet wipe, which he handed to me. As I cleaned my hand off, he picked up his tablet again and looked at the rest of my pokemon, proclaiming them to be in good health. As he powered down the tablet and allowed me to recall my pokemon, we both had a smile creep across our faces when we heard a sound.

The thermal scan was complete.

TBC

Sarah is gonna evolve soon, yay! It was incredibly nice of Colress to help Vixen like this, helping her learn about her pokemon and offering to find the Heatran for her.

I was rereading one of my chapters, and I feel like sharing an interesting fact with you guys.

I actually try to AVOID using the word "pokedex" whenever I can. I don't have anything against it or anything like that, but I have AutoCorrect turned on, so it'll slash the -ex every time I write it, and I literally stop the writing process to go back and re-add the missing letters. This is the same reason why all pokemon names, both nicknames and species, are capitalized. AutoCorrect leaves capitalized words alone. The pokedex isn't important enough in the story to warrant capitalization, so that's literally the only downside to using AutoCorrect. I would turn off AutoCorrect, but then there is the problem of other words that I either typo or genuinely don't know. AC has helped me more times than it has hurt me (I have literally spent HOURS trying to properly spell "annihilate" on my own, because I'm too stubborn to just look it up online or in a dictionary), so, yeah.

So my chatroom idea was a bust, since I cannot monitor it all the time. I still wanna hear from you guys though! So here's a link to the forum I made for the story:

forum/Lola-An-Underdog-Story/31414/

Looking forward to seeing you! Next chapter will be here soon.


	49. Chapter 48: Lola's Agony and Relief

All was silent as Lola and I followed Colress through Reversal Mountain. We let him lead the way since it was his technology, and I doubted that I could read a lick of it anyway. I was perfectly fine with that, but Lola usually didn't follow someone she didn't like. Her behavior was well beyond me, and I couldn't help but concentrate on it. There was something strange going on with her, and I think I finally found out what. I had no way of confirming my theory with her though, since she closed off her mind, and speaking out loud would clue Colress in on my ability. But maybe he would confirm it for her.

"Hey Colress?" I asked. He never took his eyes off his laptop except to make sure we were still on the path, but he made a sound to let me know he heard me.

"Sarah has been acting crazier than usual, and when I told you that you told me she was getting ready to evolve. Does evolution affect a pokemon's behavior?" I asked. He made no reactions to my question, but I knew he heard me because that's how observant he was. After awhile, I saw his crested head bob up and down.

"Indeed. Bagon's evolution into Salamence is a result of the inherent desire to fly. All Bagon have the urge to fly because long-term evolution bred the desire into them. So it is safe to assume that when Shelgon are getting ready to evolve, they can feel it coming and will get excited at it." He confirmed, stopping to look back at me and Lola before he turned back to the map.

"If you are thinking what I think you're thinking, then you may be right. The Deino line is a very aggressive one, so there isn't any documented evidence to predict their evolution like there is for the Bagon line." He said as we rounded a corner.

"Yeah but Lola's always been a pretty Docile pokemon. She never gets aggressive unless someone or something is threatening me." I told him.

"Hmm, then yes, I would say this is a sign that she is indeed going to evolve soon. But I'm not certain you want her to." He said, briefly looking at me.

"And why not? I've been looking forward to her eventually being a Hydreigon." I told him. He stopped and turned around, looking at me fiercely.

"Because both heads on a Zweilous are sentient, and if she is acting this way as a Deino, then you could be in serious trouble." He said sternly.

'_He's right. If she evolves, she could seriously hurt you._' Keldeo's voice said as it stepped out of the shadows. Colress cocked a brow at the water horse as it trotted up to me. It thrashed its head a little bit until a small, round object fell out of its mane, and Keldeo kicked it with one of it's front hooves. The mysterious object tapped my foot softly, and I bent down to pick it up while Lola hissed at it, backing away.

"What is it?" I asked. Colress cleared his throat as he stepped forward.

"That is an Everstone. When a pokemon that is capable of evolving absorbs it, it stops the evolution process. You give that to Lola, and she'll start behaving again." He told me. Keldeo trotted up to Colress, and the two began conversing with one another. I paid no attention though as I fingered the Everstone, staring at Lola. She continued to growl at the object, and I thought back on every conversation Lola and I had.

In Aspertia City, I promised her I'd make her a great pokemon. I told her I'd to everything I could to help her succeed, and we defeated her former pack and won the Basic Badge as a result. In Castelia City, she told me she wanted to be a Hydreigon, and I promised her I'd stick by her all the way. In the Nimbasa theme park, she got her first taste of the sky on many rides, and she was more determined to do it herself. And then, on the way to Lentimas, she solidified her resolve to be a Hydreigon so that she would never have to fly on a machine again.

Lola continued to growl and snarl at me and the Everstone, and though she didn't say a thing, she didn't have to. I looked back at the Everstone in my hand and clutched it tightly in my grip, glaring fiercely at it. With a snarl, I stood up and pulled my hand back, throwing the object as far away from me and Lola as I could, and it was all Colress and Keldeo could do to duck as I banished Keldeo's gift. Lola's jaw dropped as Colress and Keldeo stared at me with wide eyes, not knowing what to say in the wake of my silent anger.

"Look, I appreciate your concern Colress, and I'm touched you would go to the trouble of giving me a way around it Keldeo, but I made a promise. Zweilous or not, Lola is going to be a mighty Hydreigon one day, and I'm going to help her get there. There isn't a thing you guys or anyone else can do about it, so let me and my pokemon worry about Lola's evolution." I said, and Lola whimpered as she ran to me, slamming into my legs and knocking me down. Colress and Keldeo scrambled to catch me as I fell, gently laying me down on a clear patch of ground while Lola whimpered and sobbed in my clothes, and I clutched her in a tight hug as her emotions flooded through me, and I could see now why she refused to talk to me before.

Her mind was a swirling pool of chaos that tried to sort itself, dividing and melding together constantly. Both Zweilous heads were sentient, so I concluded that her mind was starting to separate itself and split into two to accommodate the evolution. Such a violent and unorganized process must have been giving her one massive headache, which was why she was so cranky. But even amidst the turmoil, I was able to break through to her voice.

'_Vixen, it hurts so much. I can't think straight! Make it stop Vixen! Make it stop! Please make it stop!_' She cried. I sat up and held her struggling body tightly as she continued to thrash about, and I looked at Colress and Keldeo hopelessly.

"What should I do? She's in so much pain you guys." I said. Keldeo whimpered as it sat down, and I could tell it didn't have a clue about what to do, but Colress looked at Lola with stern eyes. He tilted his head up, making his glasses flash and hide his eyes, as he reached over to her, and she snarled and snapped at his hand.

'_Stay back! Stay away from me! GET AWAY!_' She shrieked, jumping out of my arms and running headfirst into the wall. She continued to shriek and thrash about, and Colress pounced on her, grabbing ahold of Lola and grunting in pain as she bit down on his arms and scratched at his torso.

"Vixen, Keldeo, I have something in my coat pocket that can help! Hurry!" He shouted, and Keldeo and I rushed over while he continued to wrestle with Lola. Keldeo nosed Colress and sniffed around him, its eyes widening as it took the corner of his coat in its mouth.

'_Vixen, here! I think I know what he's talking about, and it's here!_' It said. I reached into the pocket while Keldeo and Colress held Lola still, and I clasped onto the first object that my fingers touched. Something that crinkled as I retrieved my hand, and I looked at it closely as it came out of the pocket. It was a blue wrapper, coating a large pearl. I pulled on the ends of the wrapper, and the pearl fell out into my hand. it felt warm as it rolled around my palm, and slightly sticky. I immediately knew what it was, and turned to Lola's head as Colress tightened his grip on her.

"Keep her steady, Colress! Keldeo, help me open her mouth!" I said. Keldeo released Colress' coat and its horn glowed, a large, orange pillar extending from it. It was like the attack Cobalion used, and I was in awe at the power of the sword as Keldeo smacked Lola's head with the side of it, causing her to yelp. Taking advantage of the small window, Keldeo wedged its sword into her open mouth, forcing her to keep it open. She screamed in agony as she struggled against Colress and Keldeo, and they in turn struggled against her. I wasted no time thanking them as I rushed forward, pushing my sleeve up and jamming the Rare Candy into her mouth as she expunged Keldeo's sword, clamping onto my hand with her sharp teeth.

"Vixen!" Colress yelled as I gasped in pain from Lola's bite, but I couldn't back out now. I continued to push my hand further into her mouth, forcing the Rare Candy down her throat. I pulled my now bloodied arm out of her mouth and quickly wrapped my arms around her jaw, hugging her mouth against my chest tightly and forcing her to swallow. She continued to struggle and screech, and Colress cursed under his breath.

"I was certain that would work!" He said bitterly, and we resigned ourselves to thinking of a backup plan when Lola suddenly stopped struggling.

'_LLet uss ggo.._' I heard Lola's voice say, though it was in an echo, as though two voices were speaking at once. It hit me that the separation of her mind was finally complete, and I released her head.

"Let go Colress, I think it did!" I said. With a sigh of relief, Colress released Lola, who collapsed on the ground in front of us. Colress rested against the wall, panting heavily, as he eyed Lola carefully.

"Something might be wrong, I'll have to tes-" He began, though he was interrupted as Lola began to glow, her body covered in a bright light.

I was secretly grateful for the light that left a lot to the imagination as Lola's body seemed to double in size, her head splitting in half down the middle from the top. Each half parted to a different side as their lost halves rebuilt themselves. Their horns repeated this action on a more minor scale. Her down grew more fluffy and wild as it receded to the base of her neck, and two wings popped out of her back. Her once tiny claws grew considerably, sharper and more pronounced, and her stubby tail grew slightly. When the light faded, Lola panted as hard as Colress did, her mouth showcasing a much larger, scarier set of teeth, with a pair of huge fangs standing at attention at the bottom of their mouths. After awhile, Lola caught her breath and brought her feet under her, standing up with a wobble. The two heads turned to each other and growled for a moment, but then turned back to me, both whimpering softly.

"Lola?" I asked quietly as Keldeo and Colress looked on.

'_Vixen?_' Said Lola's voice, though in a much rougher voice.

'_It's us Vixen. We're just…different._' Said gentler, though deeper version of Lola's voice. I quickly pulled out my pokedex and scanned the new pokemon.

"_Zweilous, the Hostile Pokemon, and the evolved form of Deino. The two heads of Zweilous are so competitive and violent to each other that they will turn everything into a violent competition._" It told me. I looked at the pokemon again as I let my pokedex fall, and I heard Keldeo dive to catch it. Nothing mattered to me right now except for Lola. It was just me and my pokemon and nothing else.

I carefully walked up to the dragon as it stretched its wings, the two heads whimpering at me. I reached out with my uninjured hand to them, and the two heads extended their necks out, each clamping onto my hand in their mouths, though gently to not hurt me, and I knew. Though bigger and scarier than the pokemon I began my journey with, they were still the cuddly little dragon I had come to know and love, they were still Lola. I sniffled and collapsed on the Zweilous, curling my arms around the two necks as Lola's heads crooned and craned their necks, touching my back with both chins. One of the heads started sniffing, and turned until they found my injured hand. Poking out its tongue, it lapped up the blood that stained its down and it started whining.

'_Oh no, did we do this?_' Said the gentle voice. I chuckled and stood up from my hug, gently petting both heads while I looked at their side, the scar bigger and slightly blurry, but still there. I smiled at the final bit of evidence that this pokemon was indeed still Lola.

"Don't worry about this. I know you didn't mean to. You were hurting, you couldn't help it." I said. The Zweilous were unconvinced though as the two heads rounded on each other, snarling and snapping at each other, and I had to clap my hands together to get their attention.

"Hey now! Knock it off, it's alright Lola, uhhh... Well, this just got complicated." I said as the two heads turned back to me. I looked at Keldeo then, who tilted its head at me while it held the device I dropped.

'_What?_' It asked, confused.

"What do I do about them? Do I call them both Lola or give them each a new name or what?" I asked, equally confused.

'_Why ask me?_' I wondered, blinking its eyes rapidly at me.

"Because you're a Musketeer. You might like humans, but you're still more in tune with pokemon. You'd know what they want better than anything." I replied. Keldeo frowned and sat down.

'_That doesn't mean I know everything. You're better off asking Terrakion about what Zweilous like. I never knew any Deino, Zweilous or Hydreigon. Not personally anyway. Lola is the first._' It said, and I sighed as I turned to my pokemon, unsure of how to identify it.

"If I might make a suggestion." I heard Colress say, and I turned to see him standing up and looking none the worse.

"I'd love to hear it." I said warmly. Colress smiled as he walked up to my Zweilous, petting one of the heads.

"Well, I think you should divide up the name. Call one head 'Lo' and the other head 'La'. That way, you don't have to change the name, and you won't have a conflict when it evolves into Hydreigon because you can start calling her Lola again when that happens." He told me, and I blinked in confusion at him.

"What do you mean? Hydreigon have three heads?" I said. Colress smiled as he walked up to me, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes but, about that. Hydreigon is one of the most horrifying pokemon. Both because of its temper and because….Zweilous has a nasty secret." He told me, his eyes darkening.

"You're hiding something. What is it Colress? What is wrong with Hydreigon?" I asked. Colress sighed as he tried to find the best way to explain it to me.

"Only one head, the center head, is sentient on a Hydreigon. Zweilous are incredibly competitive because they are literally fighting for the right to live. When it evolves into Hydreigon, one head dies and becomes the 'hands' while the other lives to dominate the body." Said a curt, female voice. Colress, Keldeo and I turned to see a tall woman adorned in pink leering at us. Beside her was a Gothitelle that held the same amount of pride, and I blinked at them as they walked up to us.

"Really? Zweilous really have to go through such a horrifying evolution Caitlin?" I asked, feeling myself go pale at the thought. Caitlin was about to confirm my fears when another voice rang out.

'_Brilliant performance everyone._'

TBC

I think I just broke the fanfic you guys. I promise to fix things next chapter XD

Lola is a Zweilous now! That was quite a hectic evolution, wasn't it? This is part of the reason why I wrote this fanfic. I wanted to explore the experience that is Deino to Zweilous to Hydreigon. According to the anime and the games, both heads on a Zweilous are sentient, but only one head on Hydreigon stays that way while the other two are like hands that can eat. Think Deidara from Naruto.

By the way, no, I didn't forget about Bianca. I chose Colress to be her Reversal Mountain Buddy because realistically speaking, he's got better equipment for what Vixen needs. Bianca doesn't really do anything except initiate wild double battles in the cave, and isn't a very helpful partner in those fights. For the sake of the story, Colress was the better choice.

The next two chapters are going to be very exciting! It'll be the 50th chapter celebration! But since I don't know which Chapter 50 to celebrate, the one on FF (which would be chapter 49) or the official one (which will be chapter 51 as far as FF is concerned). Instead, I'll connect them both into the same part of the story. Yes, I just warned you that there is going to be a cliffhanger. You're welcome.


	50. Chapter 49: Heatran Chronicles Part 1

Everyone looked around for the source of the feminine, though thick voice that had called out to us earlier. With her evolution complete, Lola was able to concentrate on other things now and tested her new body. The only problem? She was now they. Lola's two heads snapped at each other, though they still put most of their concentration on helping me. I explored both minds, which had very different attitudes and an inherent grudge against each other. Despite the animosity they had towards each other, true to her earlier words way back when, both heads agreed that helping and loving me was more important than anything else.

'_Over there Vixen!_' Said Lo, the gruffer right head.

'_Directly in front of us!_' Said La, the gentle left. I turned around as the floor vibrated in tandem to the stomping of a big pokemon. In one of the tunnels in front of us, a large pokemon stood, staring at me with buggy eyes.

'_I must say, that was the most entertaining thing I have seen in a long time. But the pink human is wrong. Not all Zweilous evolutions are that tragic._' Said the voice. Caitlin huffed indignantly as the pokemon stomped towards us. I blinked as I quickly grabbed my pokedex out of Keldeo's mouth, bringing it up to scan the pokemon that lumbered towards us.

"_Heatran, the Lava Dome Pokemon. Heatran's body is made of rugged steel that has melted in places by its own, magma-like blood that courses through its veins. Heatran like to make their homes inside volcanoes and are capable of controlling the activity of its home._" It said as the pokemon stopped in front of us, lowering its body to rest.

'_Only improperly educated Zweilous go through the violent evolution of Hydreigon. Young dragon, don't be afraid of dying and tear yourself over it. If you two are calm and decent to each other, your heads will become one again, just like when you were a Deino._' It said softly to them. Lola hummed as her two heads nodded at Heatran, and they laid down to get some much-deserved rest. Heatran turned its attention to the rest of us and focused its eyes on me, more precisely my bloodied hand.

'_Come with me, dear. As thanks for letting me watch the exciting evolution of your pokemon, and all that went into it, I'll take you to a secret spring that can fix your hand._' It told me. I blinked and looked around at the others, but Heatran just laughed.

'_Yes, they may come too. Let's go._' It said, turning around. The wall in front of us started glowing as it melted into molten lava. The wall pulled inward as though something was sucking it in, and it cooled again, creating a new tunnel. Heatran started towards the new tunnel, not stopping to check on us to make sure we followed. Colress took out his tablet and started tapping the touchscreen while he followed Heatran, Keldeo, Caitlin and Gothitelle close behind. I was about to follow them when Lola stood up, and I felt something pull at my shoulders and pick me up. Lola carefully grasped me in her two mouths and set me across her back, and the pokemon started following the crowd.

'_This is another reason we wanted to evolve._' La said as the left head crooned.

'_You've been so nice and carried us everywhere. We wanted to return the favor. We're big enough to carry you now._' Lo said proudly, the right head snorting. I smiled and reached to pet the two heads, but my injured hand started throbbing now, and I felt that touching anything with it would make it worse. I just watched as Heatran led us deeper into its new tunnel, going further under the mountain until we came into a wide, and very hot room.

The walls pulsated a deep red, showing that while not liquified, they were still very hot, but the floor seemed cool to the touch, since Heatran's feet steamed with every step, and everyone else seemed fine walking on it. There were Heatran of all shapes and sizes scattered about the room, watching us in apprehension as our guide stalked confidently towards the center of the room, a large bowl that cast a bright blue glow on the ceiling. Heatran stopped at the foot of the bowl and turned around to look at us.

'_I am the queen of this colony. You have my permission to use our spring to wash away your injury. When we drink from it, it restores our spirits. When others use it, it erases their wounds, but I suggest you just dip your hand in. It's quite hot, but I promise it will be a false pain. This water is meant for healing, not hurting._' She said, and Lola began charging towards the spring, almost bowling over our friends as they dodged out of the way. Caitlin and Gothitelle huffed while Colress adjusted his glasses and Keldeo giggled, but Lola paid no mind as they started scaling the side of the bowl, Lo reaching back to grab me and keep me on while La focused in front of us. We got to the edge of the bowl, and La reached down, touching the water with the tip of her nose. She abruptly pulled her head up with a yelp and looked around frantically.

'_It hurt!_' She said in a panicked voice.

'_Of course it hurt! Heatran said it would! Now let's hurry and get Vixen in it._' Lo said as we inched towards the water. La yelped and dug her claws into the side of the bowl, preventing us from going forward.

'_Are you out of your mind?! I'm not going to put Vixen in that!_' La argued. The two heads growled at each other and began arguing, but the throbbing in my hand started to intensify.

"Do I have a say in this?" I asked through gritted teeth.

'_NO!_' They both yelled in sync as they turned to look at me. I rolled my eyes and got up on Lola's back while they continued to argue, and without another word I leapt into the water, making Lola cry out in fear. I didn't blame them in the slightest.

I felt like I had jumped into boiling water, and as far as I knew I really did. I should have considered the implications of what kind of water a pokemon that lived and breathed volcanoes drank. I screamed underwater and shut my eyes as tightly as I could, and I was in too much pain to try and swim up.

'_Stupid girl, hold on, your friends are coming to get you._' Heatran's voice said. I felt something pull me up from the water, and I felt myself floating in the air and gliding down. I landed on a soft surface and felt a pair of arms encircle me while a sudden chill engulfed me. Feeling safe, I opened my eyes to see Keldeo in front of me, it's mouth open and little blue snowflakes coming out. It smiled as it continued its Icy Wind, and I looked to see I was laying on Lola's back in Colress' arms, who looked at me worriedly.

"At what point did it seem like a good idea to jump into a hot spring inside an ACTIVE volcano?" He asked, sarcasm and relief oozing from his voice. I chuckled sheepishly as I sat up, looking around to find Heatran, Caitlin and Gothitelle looking at me with the most unimpressed expressions I have ever seen. They could have been triplets with how much their expressions looked like each others.

"I uh, guess I got carried away. My bad." I said awkwardly.

"Well you are very lucky Gothiltelle and I were here. If it weren't for Gothitelle's Psychic, either someone else would have been burned or you would have drowned." Caitlin said haughtily. I shrank into Colress, who hugged me tighter before letting me go as Keldeo stopped its attack.

"Don't worry about it Vixen, even if she wasn't here, Keldeo, Lola and I would have helped you, risk or not. Besides, you're fine. Look, Heatran was right." He said as he dismounted Lola and gestured to my arm. I looked down and saw that my once bloody arm was now perfectly fine, and it didn't hurt in the slightest. I raised it and studied it in wonder, and Heatran laughed as though I were a child who just got a piece of candy for the first time.

'_I told you it'd be okay. The water is hot, but it's only temporary. The Dragon of Legend imbued it with healing properties, but our temperature is what makes it hot. it is supposed to be a deterrent so that no one can steal it without our permission. Believe it or not, the water is normally hotter than that._' She said as she approached me and Lola. I blinked at her as I remembered what I came here for, and I got off of Lola and stood up, bowing to the Heatran.

"Excuse me, your majesty. I was actually looking for you and your colony when Lola's evolution distracted us." I said, and Heatran gave me a curious look as it narrowed its eyes at me.

'_Oh? What for?_' She asked apprehensively, the rest of her colony hissing and backing away.

"The Unova region is in trouble, and I want to help it. I wanna learn about the legends of Unova to see if there is a way to stop whatever is coming." I said, and Colress looked at me with interest briefly flashing in his eyes. I didn't have time to dwell on it as Heatran huffed at us.

'_Very well. I will tell you of the legend of Reversal Mountain._' She said as she roared. The small crest on her forehead began to glow, and energy began to collect around it, twisting and shifting in multiple colors. The colors separated and formed shapes, and Heatran began to speak.

'_Long before the separation that created Reshiram, Zekrom and Kyurem, there was a war that was tearing the region apart. The Dragon of Legend descended from its place by The Original One and came to two brothers who held their two values the best. And with their combined efforts, the storm of war began to calm._' She said as the colors of her flames gave a visual aid of her story. I started to sit down, and Lola ran over to me to act as a chair while the others gathered closely.

'_Though many yielded to the power of the Legendary Dragon and its humans, others were unconvinced. One mating pair of humans, a lusty king and queen, coveted the power of the Dragon of Legend, and resisted the brothers attempts to make peace. With their dragon by their side, the brothers tried to reason with the king and queen and make them see the pain they were subjecting their underlings to. But they did not listen, and with the full force of their brutal army, they took the brothers to war._' She continued, and I watched in fascination as the rainbow globs of fire charged towards the dragon-shaped gray fire.

'_But they underestimated the Dragon of Legend, and in a flash of fire, ice and lightning, it became a one-pokemon army in and of itself. The clash between the two forces created this mountain range, and after a long, drawn out war, the Dragon wiped out their massive army. The brothers claimed victory over the king and queen, and with their defeat, peace finally reigned in the Unova Region. As a reminder of their victory and to help the scholars of the future, the brothers named this place, Reversal Mountain. The mountain where the erasure of the scars of war began. From here, other humans and pokemon worked together to restore the region and wipe out all traces of the great war that brought forth the Dragon of Legend. The rest is common knowledge and history. We Heatran now make this our home, and make it a point to teach others the magnificent history behind it._' She said as the fires faded with the end of her story. We sat in silence as we considered her words, and I found myself smiling at Heatran, reaching into my bag to pull out my pokeblock.

"May I ask one more thing?" I said, and Heatran tilted her head ever so slightly.

'_Yes?_' She asked with a nod.

"So, I understand you guys hold the lava in and keep the volcanoes asleep, but where did the water come from, and why do some parts of the caverns glow purple?" I asked. Heatran hummed as she considered my question.

'_The waters of Reversal Mountain are the direct result of the Dragon of Legend. Its ice covered every inch of the land for miles, and the fires melted it while its electricity melded together with the land, like in Chargestone Cave. The glow is from the residual electricity that runs through it even to this day. Is that all, young human?_' She asked. I smiled and nodded quickly at it, holding out the remainder of my pokeblock to it.

"Thank you, your majesty. Your story is incredible, and it answered a lot of questions for me. Please, take these. I know it isn't much, but this pokeblock is all I can offer you as thanks." I said as I held the candies out. Heatran leaned over my hands and sniffed the treats before she opened her mouth, allowing me to drop them in.

'_You're welcome. We will halt the construction of tunnels so that you may find your way out. Good luck in your quest, young humans._' She said, turning away. With another bow to her, I climbed back on Lola and pulled Colress on beside me while Caitlin mounted Keldeo, Gothitelle floating behind them.

"We'll get out quickly, thank you for your help Heatran." I said. The queen only grunted at me as she retreated further into her domain. As Lola and Keldeo quickly ascended the tunnels, I couldn't help but feel a sort of dread. It was the same feeling I got way back in Castelia City before Grimsley disappeared, and I wanted to be prepared this time.

'_Lola?_' I asked, and the two heads perked up, showing me I had their attention.

'_Can one of you keep an eye out behind us? I've got a bad feeling._' I told them. Lola's head nodded, and after a quick discussion between them that I was uninvited to, it was decided that Lo would walk us while La kept watch, since she seemed to be the more paranoid of the two heads. La's neck twisted until her head was facing me, though focused behind at the tunnel as we climbed up. Knowing my pokemon was on guard, I noticed that Colress was being awfully quiet, and I turned to see him thinking long and hard on something.

"Everything okay?" I asked him, snapping him out of his trance. Colress looked up at me with guilt flooding his eyes, but I had no clue what was wrong with him.

"I'm fine. I have a hypothetical for you." He said. I tilted my head and blinked at him, tuning out Caitlin, Keldeo and Gothitelle who seemed to be in a heated argument about something.

"Alright, let's hear it." I said. Colress took a deep breath and sighed as he organized his thoughts.

"What if you knew someone in Team Plasma? What would you do?" He asked, and I blinked several times at him in confusion.

"Well I'd first ask if they knew they were in a group of zealots who tried to kill me on a daily basis. Colress, are you trying to tell me something?" I asked. He opened his mouth to respond, sadness clouding his eyes, but then La roared suddenly, and Lo stopped, growling. Keldeo and Gothitelle stopped as well and looked around, and Keldeo started to run forward, leaping over us with Gothitelle in hot pursuit.

'_Lola, move! Move now! We're in trouble!_' It cried, and both heads focused on Keldeo.

'_Hold on tight Vixen!_' They said in sync as they started moving faster. Lola didn't have the speed she had as a Deino since her body was bigger and heavier now, but she was still pretty fast. I held onto La's neck tightly as the dragon ran, and I felt Colress encircle my waist with urgency.

"Lola, you've gotta go faster! There's an eruption in the tunnel that's coming right for us!" He cried out, and I turned to see that there was indeed a sea of lava rushing toward us. Lola saw the truth in Colress' command through the fear she felt from me, and the Zweilous pushed harder, her skinny wings flapping hard to try to take flight, and I looked forward to see Keldeo and Gothitelle ahead.

"Caitlin! Keldeo! Help!" I cried. Keldeo stopped and turned around, and both it and Caitlin gasped and rushed back towards us, leaping over us. Caitlin dismounted Keldeo and pulled out a pokeball, calling out a Musharna that floated beside her and Gothitelle.

"Vixen, you guys keep going! My pokemon and I can hold back the lava until you get out!" She said as a visible, light colored aura surrounded her and her pokemon. A wall of energy appeared in front of them, and they grunted with the effort of holding it up as the lava struck it hard, pushing against it.

"But what about you!? We can't just leave you here!" I cried, Caitlin growled from annoyance, but Keldeo snorted and stayed by her side, tail swishing.

'_Don't worry. When you are safe, I'll whisk her to safety. No fire in any form can catch a Sword of Justice!_' Keldeo said as it reared up, blasting a massive stream of water from its hooves at the wall of lava that was being held back by Caitlin and her pokemon. It first went right into the lava down the middle, but I could see that it was starting to cool, and as much as it pained me to do so, I knew there was nothing I could do to help, and I dug my heels into Lola's back.

"Come on Lola! Get us out of here! I know you can do it!" I commanded. The Zweilous roared as she started clawing her way back up the tunnel, her wings beating fast and hard to give her a boost of speed. I clutched her down in my fingers tightly, and I felt Colress' arms tighten their grip around my waist, more out of a desire to comfort me than fear.

"Lola, let Vixen return you to your pokeball! I promise I can get her out of here faster, and we can save Keldeo and Caitlin!" He yelled suddenly. Lola growled as she continued to climb, but both heads agreed that they were too slow to fully rescue me on their own. They stopped then and bucked me and Colress off, rushing forward and butting Lo's head against the pokeball on my neck. Lola was pulled inside, and another pokeball was tossed in front of us while Colress grabbed one of my pokeballs off my belt.

"Hurry! Let's go!" He said as Sorrel and a Magnezone appeared. Colress picked me up and threw me onto Sorrel's back while he leapt onto Magnezone. I followed his lead and turned on Sorrel, gripping his fur tightly.

"Run Sorrel! Run as fast as you can!" I commanded. Sorrel did not hesitate as he dropped to all fours, running through the tunnel at a much faster rate than Lola did. I briefly looked back to see Colress kneeling down on Magnezone, gripping its antenna tightly as they followed close behind. In no time at all, we made it to the network that all the tunnels connected to, and I could see daylight out of one of them.

"Sorrel, stop here!" I called as the fire badger quickly obeyed my command. Magnezone flew past us, turning in its path and floating beside me and Sorrel, and Colress gritted his teeth.

"I'm out of ideas. What do you have?" He asked as he dismounted, turning to me as I jumped off Sorrel's back, snatching his hat.

"A gamble. KELDEO! GRAB CAITLIN AND GET OUT OF THERE!" I called. Colress' eyes widened as a light appeared in the tunnel, the clacking of hooves against rock getting closer and closer until Keldeo and Caitlin were right beside us.

"It didn't work! Psychic and Hydro Pump didn't do a thing! We gotta go!" Caitlin cried as the wave of lava got closer. I grabbed another pokeball and called out Sarah, who slammed down next to her partner and snorted, though she looked scraggly and torn up.

"I know! Let's go guys! Sarah, Dragonbreath! Sorrel, use Blast Burn! Push back that lava!" I said. Sorrel covered himself in white-hot fire and threw it all down the tunnel along with Sarah's Dragonbreath, and Lola appeared from her pokeball again, standing between the two and snarling. Both threw their heads forward to release a powerful Dragon Pulse from both mouths, joining Blast Burn and Dragonbreath in the pokemon's attempts to hold back the lava. Keldeo trotted up to them and growled as its eyes glowed, stones rising up from around us and pelting them at the lava in the most powerful Stone Edge I have ever seen.

"Magnezone, Flash Cannon!" Colress commanded as his pokemon joined the fray, launching a silver beam of energy at the lava.

"Now what!?" Caitlin asked me dryly.

"I'm working on it! Let's start backing up towards the tunnel with light. Guys, stay with us! We'll go out the tunnel and try to get as close to the sides as possible. If this works, the pressure we're building up will shoot it straight out of the mountain!" I said. The pokemon nodded as they continued their onslaught against the volcano, and we all backed up as quickly as possible. Even under stress Colress was still able to run calculations in his head, and he kept us going in the right direction.

When we made it outside, Colress, Caitlin and I threw ourselves at the sides of the cliff until the angle blocked our view of the entrance to the cave. On my signal, the pokemon jumped to our sides and shielded us as lava shot out of the mountain at a high speed until it slowed to a trickle that was easily cooled by Keldeo's Icy Wind. We heaved a sigh of relief, and Colress and Caitlin looked at me in gratitude. Well, as grateful as a pompous princess and a slightly detached scientist could manage.

"That was brilliant Vixen." Colress said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Grimsley would be proud." Caitlin chirped as she crossed her arms. I smiled at the two of them and turned to all of the exhausted pokemon.

"Don't thank me, thank them. They saved us all. You guys were great." I said as each pokemon preened under my praise.

'_How sweet, but don't celebrate yet humans._' Said a low, gravely voice. We stiffened as we heard something stomp towards us, and we looked up to see Heatran clinging to the side of the mountain, glaring at us.

"Heatran? YOU did that?" I said incredulously. It snorted at us, a puff of smoke leaving its nostrils, as it regarded us angrily.

'_You might be able to trick the queen, but not me. If you think I'm going to just let you get away with all of our secrets, then you've got another thing coming. Prepare to die, Humans and Human Slaves._' It growled at us as its mouth opened, the making of a fire attack starting up. A stream of water rushed up from the cliff and twisted, slamming into Heatran and almost knocking it off the mountain. I quickly turned to see Dragonair floating up with a calm expression. It slithered over and coiled around me, looking up at Heatran with what I can only describe as tranquil fury.

"Naaaaaaaaair." She moaned at Heatran, and its glare intensified.

'_You would fight to protect these humans who steal my secrets? Then you will die as well._' It said. It was my turn to growl as I grabbed one of my pokeballs.

"Now just wait a second. What makes you think we're gonna stand by and let you kill us?" I yelled suddenly, and Colress and Caitlin followed my lead, grabbing their own pokeballs.

"I concur. I am far too beautiful and powerful to fall to such an ugly thing like you. My pride as a member of the Elite 4 won't allow it." Caitlin said haughtily.

"If it is a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get. Klang, let's begin." Colress added. We all threw our pokeballs up, Zachary, Gothitelle, and another pokemon that looked vaguely like Klink appeared. As Heatran glared at us, prompting my comrades to glare back, I found myself feeling something I had never felt before in all my near-death encounters. It wasn't just me in danger of dying this time. My pokemon and my friends were also on the line, which meant I would show Heatran no mercy. The fight for our lives was about to begin.

And I was ready.

TBC

Vixen, Colress, Caitlin, Keldeo, Dragonair, and all the trainer's pokemon versus Heatran. Which side will win?

In case anyone was wondering, no, the cover and story description won't change. It's still about a midget and a Deino's rise to greatness, it's just that the Deino hit the first milestone XD.

Yeesh, this Zweilous business is gonna be complicated. I hope you guys aren't anywhere near as confused as I am about nouns and pronouns for Lola XD. I'll do my best to help you guys stay on track.

The next chapter will be out soon.


	51. Chapter 50: Heatran Chronicles Part 2

On one side, a massive army of some of the smartest people in the world with some of the most powerful pokemon in human possession. On the other, a pokemon whose power controls the very volcano we fought on. Though Heatran was a mighty pokemon, and at any other time I would try to calm it down or run away, I had a mission. To do that mission, I needed to stay alive.

"Lola, Zachary, Sorrel, Sarah, let's go!" I cried. Sorrel, Zachary and Lola roared as their fur stood on end, and each brought a new surprise to the table. The first was Sorrel, whose neck burst into flames as he unleashed a powerful Flamethrower at Heatran, who shrugged it off and charged towards him with fury in its voice as it opened its mouth, coughing up a Lava Plume at Sorrel. He snarled and began to gag, a Lava Plume of his own emerging from his throat. The clash of soot and lava threw both pokemon back, and Zachary and Lola leapt in front. They opened their mouths wide in a throaty roar, and a twisting beam of dark purple energy erupted from them, slamming into Heatran and pushing it back farther.

'_You will have to do better than that if you want to live, inferior creatures! Taste my Magma Storm!_' It said as it opened its mouth, a violent stream of lava shooting towards us.

"Sarah, Protect!" I commanded as I dove under her flaky shell. Sarah began to glow a bright green as she shielded me from the attack, and when it faded I got up to find that Caitlin and Gothitelle covered herself, Colress and the pokemon in a psychic barrier.

"Now Gothitelle, Thunderbolt!" She commanded.

"Klang, you use Thunderbolt too! Magnezone, use Discharge!" Colress chimed. The three pokemon generated electricity at an alarming rate, the energy crackling around them as they forced the attack towards Heatran. The firey pokemon snorted as it made the volcano erupt, using the speeding lava as a slick to dodge out of the way.

"Sorrel! Blast Burn!"

"Gothitelle, Psychic!" Caitlin and I called at the same time. Both attacks met the lava before it could reach us and parted it so that it flowed harmlessly away from us. Heatran did not like that one bit though, and it slammed its foot on the mountainside, causing the ground to shake and another wave of lava to assault Psychic and Blast Burn. Dragonair slithered away from me and yelled something at Gothitelle and Sorrel. The two pokemon nodded and put more force into their attacks, causing the lava to rise up in a small swell. The two pearls on Dragonair's tail began to glow, and water emerged from them, twisting just like before. Twisting herself, Dragonair brought her Aqua Tail forward and slammed it into the swells, which hardened into a sort of gutter. Thanks to them, lava from the volcano was no longer a threat to us, and we could concentrate our full efforts on Heatran.

'_You may have prevented the volcano from helping me, but you are still going to die! Take this!_' It yelled at its crest glowed. It fired a massive Flash Cannon at us, but once again Dragonair knew just what to do. The water disappeared as her tail turned blue, and she rushed at Sarah, slamming it on her underside and knocking the Shelgon into the air.

"Sarah, Protect!" I commanded, though it was more out of formality than necessity. Her shell was already glowing a bright green as Flash Cannon slammed into it. Sarah snarled and began turning in the air as she descended, bouncing the Flash Cannon back at Heatran's feet. This only pissed it off further though, and it started charging toward us, a Magma Storm preparing in its mouth, when a heart-shaped beam hit its head, making Heatran glow a bright pink. It wobbled and moaned as though it were drunk, and failed to notice as a large crack in the mountain rushed over to it, making the heavy pokemon fall through into the mountain.

"What the?" I started as two pokemon cried out. I looked down to see a huge Krookodile scaling the mountain at an alarming rate, Grimsley and his Liepard clinging to its back with a strange combination of smugness and fury on their faces. As they finally made it to the cliff where we stood, Grimsley leapt off of Krookodile's back and ran to me, scooping me up in his arms and hugging tightly.

"I leave you alone for a couple of weeks, and then come back to find you fighting off an angry Heatran? Did Caitlin have something to do with this?" He asked, turning to face the Psychic specialist as he teased her. Caitlin stomped her foot and huffed angrily at him.

"That is NOT how you repay the person who nursed you back to health!" She said, her eyes dimming as she started to slump. Gothitelle was at her side instantly and put its arms around her, and Grimsley sighed as he let me go and facepalmed.

"As hilarious as your narcolepsy is, now is not the time to sleep Caitlin. Attract and Earthquake won't distract Heatran forever." He said as his pokemon started growling. Caitlin snapped out of it in time to see Heatran burst up from the hole in a flurry of lava, absolutely livid with us.

'_I don't care how many of you show up! You will not stop me! I will destroy you all and protect my home!_' It said furiously, firing off another Magma Storm. Keldeo leapt in front of us and produced its Sacred Sword, leaping up to cut the attack in half. But that was exactly what Heatran wanted as it appeared in front of Keldeo suddenly, throwing up a massive Lava Plume that caught Keldeo by surprise. The injured water horse screamed in pain as it went sailing past us, hitting the edge of the cliff and rolling over.

"Keldeo! Krookodile, please go help Keldeo!" I called, turning to my Master's pokemon. Krookodile obeyed without hesitation as it leapt over the cliff after it, flying down and grabbing it in one of its large, red arms as it used to other to clutch the mountainside, halting their descent. I sighed in relief before turning to Heatran, anger burning fiercely in my eyes.

"You shouldn't have done that! You'll pay for hurting my friend, Heatran! Dragonair, Aqua Tail!" I commanded. Dragonair eagerly executed the request, slamming the twisting pillar of water into Heatran, who groaned from the impact.

"Zachary, Lola, Dark Pulse!" I followed up. The two pokemon roared as they blasted Heatran with dark energy, and it snarled in anger as the attacks pushed it back. It stopped and looked closely at all of us, focusing its attention on me as its eyes narrowed.

'_You seem to be the leader. Which means if I kill you, your subordinates will lose their will. Die, puny human._' It snarled as it slammed its foot down, shaking the whole mountain. The ground shook so badly, everyone lost their footing and slipped. Unfortunately for me, I was too close to the edge of the cliff, and I ended up slipping over it.

"Master! Lola! Colress! Help me!" I screamed as I clung to the edge for dear life. Grimsley and Colress were at the edge instantly, each grabbing one of my arms and pulling.

"Hold on Vixen!" Colress shouted as they began to lift me up.

'_Oh no you don't!_' Heatran yelled as it scaled down the mountain.

"Behind you!" Caitlin and I yelled as Heatran opened its mouth.

"Lola, use Dark Pulse!" I commanded. Lola turned her attention away from helping me and focused both blasts of Dark Pulse at Heatran, but it was too late. Another Earth Power from Heatran had already shook the ground, and Grimsley and Colress lost their grip. I saw a bright white light as I plummeted down, Grimsley's screams of anguish echoing as Keldeo and Krookodile tried and failed to catch me while I fell. I tried to cling to the mountain myself, but all I accomplished was making my fall worse, and I began to spin and hit the mountain at odd intervals.

'_VIXEN!_' Lola cried out in despair as our connection got further and further away.

As I plummeted to my death, I sobbed as all my dreams fell with me. I would never stop Team Plasma, or watch Lola turn into a Hydreigon, or keep my promise to Grimsley. Cory would be the star of Aspertia City that he was destined to be, and I would be put in my place once again at the bottom of the food chain.

No. Not now. I refuse to give up my dreams just yet. I was going to keep fighting to the end, no matter how much the odds were stacked against me. I snarled and righted myself in the air, closing my eyes as I reached out to grab something, anything that would spare my life. I failed utterly to catch something to save myself, but my fall was broken by something else. As I abruptly stopped descending, my hands slammed down on something soft and smooth in front of me, and I opened my eyes to meet a pair of white ones, their black slits regarding me with joy.

I blinked several times as I extended my sight beyond the pokemon's eyes, seeing cool blue and deep red scales. We bounced up and down ever so gently, and I looked to see a pair of large, crimson wings flapping up and down, a long tail rotating carefully. I reached into my bag and pulled out my pokedex to scan the pokemon.

"_Salamence, the Dragon Pokemon, and the final evolution of Bagon. As a result of its desires as a Bagon, Salamence forced itself to grow wings during its time as a Shelgon, and it is known as one of the fastest flyers in the world._" It said as the Salamence chirped. I blinked and put the device away, locking eyes with Salamence.

"Sarah? Is that you?" I asked in shock. The dragon smiled and nodded quickly, craning its neck to lick me with a big, soft tongue. I laughed and threw my upper body on Sarah's neck, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so glad Sarah! And you saved me! You're the greatest, buddy!" I told her. Sarah chirped and nuzzled my back with her snout, but another shake of the mountain let me know that the reunion had to wait as Sarah and I looked up at the curtain of fog.

"Ready to go kick some molten ass?" I asked her. Sarah snarled and let out a piercing roar. With a mighty flap of her new wings, Sarah shot into the fog and up the mountain at a high speed, and I gritted my teeth as I leaned down on her back.

"Sarah, use Dragonbreath!" I commanded as we shot up past the cliff, hovering above Heatran.

"Look! It's Sarah!" I heard Colress say as he took note of our entrance.

'_And she's got Vixen! Way to go Sarah!_' Keldeo announced, crying out in glee.

"Heatran, I've had enough of you and your rage! Go away and stay away! Get him Sarah!" I commanded. Sarah snarled as she unleashed her pink fire, her rage fueling it and making it grow enough to completely engulf Heatran. Their hope renewed by my rescue, the others called out their own attacks, and every pokemon began to assault Heatran in a combined effort. Heatran screamed in pain as the volcano erupted, and when everyone got too tired to keep attacking, we found Heatran crumpled in a heap on the mountainside. Its body smoked as it panted heavily, too weak to continue but still defiant.

'_I cannot lose, I will not lose. I will kill every last one of you._' It said, its mind sounding as weak as the rest of it.

'_Not while I reign._' Said the queen as she stood proudly at the top of the volcano. Heatran looked up in terror as the queen glared fiercely, making her descent towards it but in no rush by any means.

'_Your majesty! I-I can explain!_' It started, but the queen hissed and spit a small Lava Plume in its face.

'_Save it. You deliberately attacked our guests, whom I made clear were friends. As far as I am concerned, that is a direct defiance to my rule. You know the consequences for mutiny._' She said angrily. If it were capable of doing so, Heatran would have paled as it struggled to stand up, but the queen raised one of her feet, stamping down without mercy on it as two more Heatran appeared.

'_Take him out of my sight and get him ready for execution. He's had his last chance._' She said, making Heatran scream as her two subordinates started to lift him up. He tried to struggle, but the fight left him devoid of any energy to fight back, and all he could do was scream. Call me crazy, but I felt bad for him. Despite all the trouble he put us through, it didn't feel right to let him die. I gently nudged Sarah to take me down as the three Heatran started towards the volcano.

"Wait." I said as we touched down. I carefully slid on Sarah's neck, standing in front of her while she braced my back with her head. The queen turned to me with a curious glance and stomped her foot to make the departing Heatran stop.

'_Do you have a few more things to say to him? Bring him here!_' She said, the two Heatran bringing their prisoner back. I shook my head and bowed carefully at the queen, depending on Sarah to keep my balance as she dug her claws into the mountain.

"With all due respect, your majesty, please, don't go through with this. Please don't kill him on my account." I said, making everyone except the queen gasp. Even her prisoner, the Heatran that was so concentrated on trying to get rid of me, looked at me in shock.

'_Y-you're protecting me? I tried to kill you! You should be begging the queen to watch my execution!_' He said, narrowing his eyes at me. I turned to Heatran and huffed, standing up straighter and crossing my arms.

"Maybe I should, but then there are a lot of things I should and shouldn't have done. I shouldn't have been born, I should have let my rival go uncontested, I shouldn't have left the pokemon center in Castelia, I can name so many more things I should have done and not done off the top of my head right this second. But I don't always do what I'm supposed to. Just ask my Master, it drives him batshit." I said, making Grimsley chuckle. Heatran's eyes continued to glare as the queen looked on in silence.

'_Why?_' He asked.

"Because I follow my own path and make my own decisions. Sometimes it gets me in trouble, and I learn from it when I do. Even if you did die because of this, it's not going to make it not have happened. I will always have to live with almost being killed by a Heatran, and the queen will always have to live with knowing one of the members of her colony tried to kill me. Your death makes no difference in that. Hell, people and pokemon have tried to kill me so many times since I started my journey, I'm finding it really hard to care when it keeps happening. So as far as I'm concerned, you don't deserve to die just because you jumped on the bandwagon." I said, adding the last part for the queen. She and the other Heatran stared at me in silence, and I started shifting uncomfortably, looking down at my friends. Grimsley nodded approvingly at my words while Caitlin and Colress looked at me in pride, genuinely impressed. My pokemon all stared at me in admiration, and I didn't need Lola's mind to know that they were all proud of me too. The queen Heatran grunted, bringing my attention back to her and her subordinates.

'_You are quite certain of this?_' She asked. I nodded and bowed at her in response.

"Yes ma'am. I would feel horrible if Heatran died just because he attacked me. Frankly, if he hadn't pushed me off the cliff, Sarah wouldn't have evolved into a Salamence to save me. Who knows how much longer she would have had to wait as a ragamuffin before she evolved? I'm actually grateful." I told her. The queen regarded me with her bug eyes, silently considering my words, before she turned to the three Heatran.

'_Take him to the spring. The girl is sincere in her plea, so you shall be spared. But mark my words, do not attack the innocent again. This is your final chance. Disobey me once more, and no amount of human words and sincerity will spare you._' She said. My attacker was silent, barely managing a nod as he lost himself in his thoughts, the other Heatran carrying him to the volcano top. With a sigh, the queen turned back to me and gave me a warm smile and she lightly stomped her foot, making me stand up straighter.

'_Rise, little one. I am flattered that you would treat me as a human queen, but there is no need for that. I'm truly sorry he attacked you, but I do believe you have given him something to think about._' She said as a pair of claws clamped the mountain inches away from the queen. She backed up as Krookodile climbed up, Grimsley not waiting for it to finish before he ran to my side. He somehow maintained a perfect balance as he pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly with no intention of letting go.

"Stop doing this! I'm too young to die of a heart attack!" He reprimanded, pulling me away from his chest and looking at me. His eyes swam with worry, exasperation, and relief, and the queen took notice of it as I smiled at him.

'_Are you the child's parent?_' She asked. Grimsley turned to the queen and dipped his head in respect.

"No ma'am, but I might as well be. In truth, she is merely my apprentice, but I indeed love her as my own." He said as he kept his arms on me. The queen smiled warmly as she stomped her feet, making the mountainside crack and descend until we were level with everyone else.

'_You taught her well. She will make a fine leader someday._' She said as the others rushed up to me and Grimsley, each finding some way to make sure I was okay. Grimsley finally convinced himself to stop fawning over me by plopping me on Lola's back, and the two heads nuzzled me lovingly, warbling softly.

"I think she already is." Grimsley told the queen as he stepped back to watch the loving chaos. She nodded and hummed in agreement as she stood up straighter, turning towards the tunnel.

'_Come. I will escort you out of the mountain towards the human resort. I think you deserve a nice vacation after all that's happened._' She said as she started down the tunnel, once again not waiting. I handed Sorrel his hat back as I recalled him, Sarah and Zachary, thanking them deeply for protecting me. Lola lumbered on behind Heatran while the rest of the group followed, and as I turned to look at everyone, I noticed that Dragonair was still with us, slithering gracefully and patiently behind Lola.

"So Dragonair, what brings you here?" I asked quietly so that Colress couldn't hear me. Not that it mattered, he was too distracted with helping Keldeo fill in Grimsley on what he had missed. Dragonair recognized the attempt at secrecy and slithered up closer to me, thus getting closer to Lola's two heads, and quietly moaned something to them.

'_She says she's finally made up her mind about you._' Lo said as she and her twin head continued to lead us behind the queen.

"Oh? And what have you decided Dragonair?" I asked quietly. She rushed forward and moved between Lola and the queen, making both stop to watch and drawing the attention of our entourage. She moaned again, and La started warbling softly.

'_She's decided that you are a trainer worthy of her powers. Your cunning, kindness and humility are exactly what she had been looking for in a companion, and would be more than honored to be in your possession._' La said, making me stunned.

"Y-you want to come with me Dragonair?" I asked incredulously. Dragonair nodded and brought her tail forward, curling it around her. I smiled and dismounted Lola as the queen hummed.

'_She wants to make sure your power is on par with her own. Battle for me, young trainer._' Said the queen as she backed up to make room. I walked backwards towards the group, standing in between Colress and Grimsley while Lola waited patiently.

"Alright, you asked for it Dragonair. Lola, ready for this?" I asked. The two heads barked as they reared up, slamming their paws back down to make the ground shake slightly.

'_Let's do this!_' Lo said haughtily, grinning in a way that showed off all her teeth.

'_We won't let you down, Vixen._' La said as she crooned. I smiled as Dragonair's tail glowed a light blue, bringing it forward and slamming it down. Lola's heads grinned as she reared up, catching her tail in her claws. Colress adjusted his glasses as he tapped my shoulder.

"Be careful, Dragon Tail has a nasty habit of making pokemon return to their pokeballs when it connects." He told me, and I nodded in response.

"Alright Lola, throw her away from you with Dragon Pulse!" I commanded. Lola swung Dragonair in front and launched a two-pronged attack of Dragon Pulse, the wispy breath weapon sending Dragonair flying past the queen who did not bother to dodge the attack. She did, however, move when a blue light lit the cave, and without hesitation, I formed a counter attack.

"Dark Pulse!" I cried. As Dragonair rushed forward in Dragon Rush, Lola fired two Dark Pulses at her, though this time she was able to dodge skillfully and slam into her chest, making the two heads gag. Lola was getting angrier, and while both heads agreed that Dragonair was the source of that anger, they had different ideas on how to deal with it. Lo preferred a direct attack and wanted to beat in Dragonair's face, but La thought a sneak attack would give them a better advantaged. The conflicting ideas showed in the jagged, uncoordinated way their body moved, trying to respond to both desires.

'_Just listen to me you guys. Let me come up with the plans._' I pushed, and the Zweilous stopped moving as Dragonair backed up, covering herself in the blue fires of Dragon Rush again.

"Counter with your own Dragon Rush! Let's end this!" I commanded. Lola's body became engulfed in a bright blue flame as she and Dragonair charged at each other, the two attacks colliding in a powerful way. The flames reached all sides of the cave, and would have caused some real problems for me if Colress and Caitlin's pokemon didn't jump in front of us, taking the brunt of the attack. The fire faded, and I saw Dragonair laying down, her eyes tightly shut, while Lola panted, but remained standing.

'_Now is your chance._'

'_Do it now!_' Both heads cried, and I quickly lobbed an empty pokeball at Dragonair. The ball sailed at a high speed, the button striking her neck and opening up, pulling her inside. There was something weird about this particular capture. The ball had made a sound I did not recognize when I threw it, and as soon as Dragonair was pulled inside, it shook violently before it hit the ground. The ball shook only once before it clicked, ringing a successful capture. I was still slightly confused as Lola walked up to the pokeball, grabbing it with her right head and turning around to bring it over to me, and both Grimsley and Colress made an interested sound.

"Was that what I think it was?" Grimsley asked as I took the pokeball from Lola.

"Indeed. That was a critical capture." Colress responded as I turned the ball over in my hands, and I looked up to the scientist who stared at my pokeball hungrily.

"Huh?" I asked as I handed him the pokeball. He gratefully took it and started inspecting it, pulling out his tablet and opening a hatch on the back of it, producing a suction cup on a wire that he attached to the top of the ball. He started running his fingers over the touchscreen as he became engrossed in his work, and Grimsley rolled his eyes, turning to me.

"A critical capture. It's like the pokeball equivalent of a critical hit in battles. It's somewhere between the general unreliability of a normal pokeball and the surefire promise of a Master Ball. It'll whistle when thrown, pull the pokemon inside, and then shake really fast in the air before it lands. If it succeeds, which it has an incredibly high chance of doing, the ball will only shake once instead of two or three times, before the pokemon is locked." He explained as Colress continued to run his test. I blinked as I stared at the pokeball curiously.

"Really? How did I get a pokeball that would make a critical capture?" I asked. Colress briefly snapped out of his scientific trance and he looked at me with a soft smile.

"You didn't. All pokeballs are made the same way except for certain kinds made by a fellow in the Johto region. They all have an equal chance of making a critical capture. Even a Master Ball is theoretically capable of doing it, though so few of those are made, it's never actually happened. No one knows what prompts a critical capture in a pokeball. Conspiracy theorists say its a glitch in the pokeball's internal programming. Others say it is a reflection of the pokemon's own desire to be with the trainer who makes the critical capture. A select few believe Arceus or some other deity has something to do with it. No one is able to agree on which theory is plausible, and science is still trying to study the phenomenon. As you can imagine, it is difficult to come by test subjects. Thank you, by the way. I got all the data I need." He said, handing the pokeball back to me. I gratefully took the device from him, carefully peeling off the suction cup that retracted back into his tablet, and turned around. I tossed the pokeball up, and Dragonair appeared in a flash of light, looking absolutely regal even though she was clearly tired.

"Thank you for giving yourself to me Dragonair. I promise I will do everything I can to prove my worthiness of your choice." I told her. Dragonair moaned as she leaned down, gently wrapping herself around me in a hug as if to tell me I already did. I stroked her smooth, watery scales and looked into her eyes. A beautiful pokemon deserved a name that was just as beautiful and to the point as it was. I had the perfect name for such a pokemon. As I recalled Lola into her own pokeball to give her the rest she truly deserved, I pulled out of Dragonair's coils and swung my leg over her lithe body much like Carina did on her Serperior, and Dragonair glowed as she began to float, following the queen Heatran who began leading us through the mountain once again. I gently stroked Dragonair's neck as she moved, and she turned around to look at me as I opened my mouth to deliver my verdict.

"Welcome to the family, Beth."

TBC

So we got into a massive fight with a Heatran, Grimsley joined the party, Vixen was almost killed AGAIN (I feel like this should be a given by now), Sarah evolved into Salamance, and Vixen caught a Dragonair. Wow this was a big chappy. And if you'll excuse me, I'm about to have an Oprah moment.

YOU get a new move! He gets a new move! EVERYONE GETS A NEW MOVE!

I swear I didn't mean for all of those attacks to be learned at once XD. I wandered Reversal Mountain for HOURS trying to get enough Blue Shards for Lola and Zachary to learn Dark Pulse, and I was trying to level Lola and Sarah to evolution so I could have the material for the story. I didn't want Sorrel and Zachary to fall behind though, and Sorrel kinda shocked me by learning Flamethrower and Lava Plume in the process. Let's not piss him off shall we?

Critical captures are a real thing guys. I dunno if it happens in Black and White and earlier generations, but in BW2 there is a very real chance of getting a sudden boost in capture probability. It can happen with any pokeball *it's happened to me with both regular and quick balls*. So far, it's only random, but I have gotten so many critical captures that I have a theory that it might have something to do with how many successful captures you make or how many pokeballs you throw in general.

By the way, the attack that Heatran was using to make the volcano erupt was NOT Eruption, it was Earth Power. Oddly enough, Heatran can't learn Eruption, but it does learn Earth Power via level. And face it, using Earthquake or Earth Power on an active volcano, it might as well be Eruption.

We relax in Undella Town next chapter.


	52. Chapter 51: The Aftermath

To say I was exhausted was an understatement. I slumped over Beth, clutching her neck loosely, and groaned while my body racked itself with pain and fatigue.

"Take it from me guys, if you are falling down a cliff, don't try to reach out to it and grab it. It's not fun." I said as the others laughed.

"Noted. Listen, I still have a few things to do here in Reversal Mountain. We'll meet again, Vixen." Colress said, recalling his pokemon and walking down another tunnel. I just yawned in response and nuzzled Beth's neck, making her warble softly. I felt her body undulate underneath me, and turned to see Grimsley smiling warmly at me.

"Get some sleep Vixen, it'll help the pain." He said as he rubbed my back. The queen rumbled while she walked, making new tunnels every time we came up to a dead end to make our journey shorter.

'_I'd take you back to the spring, but I'm afraid your injuries are too extensive. You'd HAVE to fully submerge yourself in the water, and I'm afraid the burning would overwhelm you._' She said with a barely audible whimper. I smiled at her generosity and yawned, leaning backwards until Grimsley wrapped his arms around me in a loving and protective embrace.

"Thanks, your majesty, but I'll be okay. I'm the only one who got that hurt, but I'm not the only one who is tired. Your Undella Town idea is better for all of us. Besides, that other Heatran attacked us because he thought we were going to blow the secret of your springs." I said. The queen snorted in response as she made another tunnel.

'_No, he attacked you because you are humans. He's too stupid to not use the paths that pokemon who want to be captured use, and he blames the humans who are just following rules for his stupidity._' She explained, and I tilted my head in confusion while a headache that was almost as big as Lola's pounded.

"You make it sound like he's done this before?" I asked.

'_Indeed he has. That's why I called for his execution. I've had to intervene several times when he went after unwitting trainers, and he was on his last chance when he attacked you. I let him live this time only because I think you finally got through to him._' She explained, making me blink. I couldn't make a lot of sense of her words, but I attributed that to the headache and decided that sleep was best. With another yawn, I curled up in Grimsley's arms while Beth continued to silently float after the Heatran. The sounds of Caitlin's soft footsteps, Keldeo's hooves, and Heatran's heavy stomping gently lulled me into a deep sleep that I desperately needed.

I was still miserable when I woke up some time later. My whole body ached and my head felt like I had a Heatran sitting on it. I could hear voices around me, but I couldn't make sense of them because of the pain. My eyes were extremely out of focus, but I was able to make out a pair of yellow eyes beside long, golden hair. A blue light shined above me, and I felt a cooling sensation touch my head as the light got closer. Beth crooned her name softly and I felt her cradle me in her coils, gently coaxing me back to sleep.

…

"Will she be alright?" I heard Grimsley's voice a few hours later.

"She'll be fine. The medicine I made from Garchomp's scales and boiled with Heatran's heat should bring her around." Caitlin's voice said.

"I wish I had a Gabite with me. Gabite scales are better in medicine making than Garchomp scales are." Said a voice I did not recognize.

'_Nonsense. Garchomp scales are no different from Gabite scales aside from being smaller and tougher to melt down. As a Heatran, melting things is my specialty, so the fact that your pokemon is evolved makes no difference to the potency._' Said the queen Heatran. I groaned softly and started to open my eyes, and I felt a cold, metallic hand touch my cheek, which was oddly soothing.

"Bisharp!" Cried the curt, proper voice of my 'sister'. Through my eyelids, I saw shadows gather around me, and I tried to open my eyes, only to hiss in pain at the brightness of the room.

"Gar!" Said a gruff, throaty voice as the room suddenly darkened. I felt a soft hand touch my forehead as Bisharp retracted hers, and I felt comforted by the hand that slowly rubbed my aching temples.

"Try opening your eyes now, Garchomp blocked the skylight so that it's not as bright anymore." Said the female voice from before. I obeyed it and forced my eyes to slowly open.

The first thing I noticed was that I was in my pajamas. Looking around the room, it was like being in Carina's luxury hotel room again, though the colors were brighter and more cheerful in contrast to the dark, comforting colors in Castelia. I was laying in a twin-sized bed with white sheets, and I was able to make out everyone around me. Grimlsey and Bisharp stood on my right, looking at me with worry in their eyes. Beside them, Beth and Lola also stared at me with worried expressions. At the foot of the bed, Queen Heatran looked proud and uncaring, though I knew she felt differently since she held herself high enough to be able to see me over the bed. On my left, Caitlin leered at me alongside her Gothitelle. Beside them was a woman I did not recognize, who smiled at me, radiating warmth and love from her eyes alone while her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, looking very soft. She had four baubles sticking out of her hair, and the way they bounced when she moved made her hair look even softer.

"Are you alright now sweetheart?" She asked. I groaned and started to lift myself up, but Bisharp reached out to push me back down while Grimsley shushed me.

"Don't push yourself Vixen. Your fever hasn't fully broken yet. Wait for the Audino to get here." He urged, petting my hair. I nodded at him, instantly regretting the action, as I looked back at everyone else.

"I'm sorry about this, you guys." Caitlin huffed and crossed her arms, sticking her nose up into the air.

"If it's not one thing with you, it's another. I don't know what you did to make yourself so danger prone, but you really need to stop it if you want to live to see the league." She snapped, and I winced at her words. Grimsley's eyes flashed in anger as he stood up from beside me.

"May I see you for a moment Caitlin? _Outside_." He asked, not waiting for an answer before he strode over to her and grabbed her sleeve, dragging her towards the door and opening it quickly. He threw her out the door and quickly ran out after her to shut the door fast, knowing the light would hurt my eyes. I hissed in pain anyway, and the mystery woman leaned over to rub my forehead again.

"Don't mind Caitlin, she's always been a little rough around the edges. She means well but she still hasn't quite figured out how to manage her temper." She said softly. I blinked as I pulled up my memories of what I learned about the Elite 4 in school, my thoughts clearer and unclouded from my previous headache, and I nodded.

"I read that she wasn't the friendliest of the Elite 4, and most challengers fought her first just to get it over with because of how fiery she could be." I said, and the woman laughed gently.

"Believe it or not, she used to be a whole lot worse." She told me, and I blinked at her in disbelief.

"How could she be worse?" I asked, making the woman smile.

"Well, she has a Psychic Affinity, and psychic powers. Combine that with a white-hot temper that she didn't see fit to control." She said, and I paled at the thought of what a person like Caitlin, who was almost a pokemon herself with her powers, would be capable of if she got really angry.

"My god. I think I'd rather think about Shauntal's insanity. At least I can make SOME sense out of what she says." I said, making the woman laugh.

"Really? Well good for you. Very few people are capable of understanding anything she says." She said. I smiled at her as I reached up to rub my eyes.

"My name is Vixen." I said, trying to make a formal introduction despite my incapacity.

"I am Cynthia." She said warmly, and I frowned as I started thinking. There was something about that name that I should have known.

"Forgive me, but I feel like I should know that name. I know it's there somewhere." I said, creating a new headache while I tried to make sense of it.

"Easy now, don't hurt yourself. You've probably heard of me because I am the Champion of the Sinnoh Region. The reason you aren't recognizing me is because it is dark, and I'm not wearing my Champion outfit." She said comfortingly. I nodded fiercely as I remembered everything she told me, and I would have smacked myself for forgetting if I didn't think it would hurt more than it needed to.

'_Yeah, please don't do that._' La said, laying her head across my legs.

'_We'll just say that your illness got to your head._' Lo told me gently, which was odd for her since Lo was the rougher, more blunt head.

"How did I get so sick anyway?" I asked quietly, reaching out to pet Lola's down by gently stroking La's neck. The queen Heatran rumbled and smiled softly at me.

'_You got heatstroke. It can happen sometimes inside Reversal Mountain when someone stays inside too long, especially if you overexert yourself. Your body was too tired to regulate its temperature after the battle._' She said, humming. Cynthia smiled and looked up, and I followed her gaze to see a large, landshark-esque pokemon clinging to the ceiling. I started to reach for my bag beside the bed, straining because it was too far, when Beth reached her tail over, lifting the bag within my reach. I brought it over to me and reached inside to retrieve my pokedex, holding it up to scan the pokemon.

"_Garchomp, the Mach Pokemon, and the final evolution of Gible. Garchomp can achieve a high rate of speed quickly, enabling it to take to the sky and maintain flight. They move too fast, however, to be ridden in flight because their speed can snap human bones._" It said as the dragon looked down at us, narrowing its eyes.

"I think she's fine now Garchomp, you can get down from there." Cynthia said. Garchomp nodded and let go of the ceiling, plummeting from the skylight. A flap of its wings and Garchomp made a soft landing, cautiously walking up to the bed as light flooded the room, and I recognized its piercing eyes from before. I smiled and reached up a hand to it, and Garchomp leaned down, nudging its head into my touch with a soft warble.

"Thanks for your help." I told it, making it warble happily. Cynthia stood off to the side, crossing her arms as she watched me pet her pokemon in shock.

"Well I'll be damned. Garchomp NEVER warms up to people this quickly. Unless… Do you have an Affinity for Dragon pokemon Vixen?" She asked while I stroked the rough scales of her pokemon. I frowned at her and stopped petting Garchomp, only for it to growl at me, not stopping until I started petting it again.

"I don't know. I have been asking myself that since day one. The only wild Dragon I've encountered is Beth, but the first few times I met her, she had no interest in me beyond protecting me." I said, taking note of a small patch on the side of its head where scales appeared to be missing. I rubbed the spot gently, and Garchomp whimpered and turned its head so my hand moved away from the spot.

"I'm thinking you do. Garchomp has NEVER been so…cuddly with anyone except for people with a Dragon Affinity. Even Ground people don't get to see the softer side of her." She explained. My eyes widened at the dragon who had completely melted at my touch, collapsing on the side of my bed, dead to the world except for the occasional twitch of her huge dorsal fin. I wanted to say something, anything in response to this revelation, but I couldn't find the words. I heard a soft knock at the door, and Cynthia quickly rushed over to it, opening it up and allowing two Audino inside. I smirked as I looked out the door, seeing Grimsley and Caitlin in a heated, though whispered argument, most likely about her curtness towards me. Cynthia shook her head at them and closed the door while the Audino made their way over to the bed, shooing the pokemon away. Garchomp, Lola and the queen growled and reluctantly backed away, but Beth and Bisharp were much more understanding as Bisharp grabbed my bag and pokedex from me, carrying them with her to a corner of the room.

"Audino." Said one of the pokemon doctors, who had lavender and cream fur. The antenna on its left ear uncurled and it grabbed the tip in its small paw, reaching towards me and laying it on my forehead.

"Audino." It whispered, pressing the end on me, and I stayed perfectly still until it frowned at me.

'_She wants you to hold it there._' Said the queen, and I made a silent 'oh' sound and quickly shot my hand up, pressing gently against the fleshy string. Audino smiled and turned to its companion, a pink and cream Audino who extended its own antennae and pressing the left one against my chest, in between my breasts. It also chirped at me and I raised my other hand and pressed it against the other tendril, holding it against my shirt harder so that the Audino could hear whatever it wanted in my body. The two Audino grabbed the other tendrils that hung from their ears and pressed them to my body, the lavender Audino listening to my forehead and neck while the pink one listened to my chest and stomach.

We stayed silent while the Audino listened to my body, and after a few minutes they nodded and hummed to each other. They lifted my hands while their antennae curled back up. The lavender Audino got closer up my body while the other one went further down, and they raised their paws. Their limbs hovered over my body and began to glow, and they started to hum as a warmth welled up inside of me. I sighed happily and allowed my head to sink further in the pillow, feeling the absolute bliss of Audino's Heal Pulse. Lola and the queen Heatran looked like they wanted to say something to me, but I guess Telepathy was out of the question when part of the Heal Pulse was focused on my mind.

When the glow faded and the warm feeling stopped, the Audino smiled warmly at me. They slowly walked up to my torso and each grabbed a hand, slowly and carefully pulling me up into a sitting position. They started poking and tapping me, making sure that their treatment worked, and each gave a happy chirp. The lavender Audino pulled out some sort of notepad and a pen and started to write on it, tearing it out of the book and carrying it over to Cynthia, who took it and read it over carefully. She smiled and handed the paper back to Audino, pulling out a large wad of cash and handing the whole thing over to it.

"Keep the change, I am really grateful that you were able to come out even though it's a holiday." She said, and the Audino frowned and returned half of the bills to Cynthia, shaking its head and chirping at her.

'_He says that such a gross tip for simply doing his job is not needed in his profession. While human doctors call the oath "Hypocritical", his kind takes it to heart and will answer the call of duty no matter what. Illness and injury will not spare his patients because of a tight budget or a holiday, so he will not skip them._' Said the queen, and Cynthia smiled warmly at the pokemon. I was touched by his kindness and the devotion to his duty, and I started to stand up. Lola quickly reacted to my actions and rushed over to me, holding me up and helping me walk over to the Audino. I knelt down in front of the purple doctor and wrapped my arms around him, hugging the pokemon tightly. Audino returned the hug with a purr before he pulled away and patted me on the shoulder, cooing at me.

'_That he will accept. The health of his patients is all he wants, and the gratitude that he gets from it is what makes him happy._' The queen translated as the two Audino opened the bedroom door, walking out knowing their job was done. I stood up shakily and petted Lola's heads, and the queen stood up, stretching her limbs and starting for the door.

"Where are you going, ma'am?" I asked, tilting my head. She stopped and turned around, regarding me carefully with her eyes.

'_Home. I came only because I worried for your well-being. Since you are safe and back at full health, there is no reason I need to stay anymore. My colony needs their queen. Goodbye, Vixen. This has been good fun, I will treasure the experience always._' She said, turning back around and heading out of the bedroom and out of the building. I smiled and with Lola's help, I walked into the fancy living room where Caitlin and Grimsley were watching the scene play out, and I stood in the doorway, waving at Heatran.

"Thank you for everything, your majesty! I had a lot of fun too, and I'll also keep this in my memories! I wish you and your colony the best of luck!" I called to her retreating back. I heard her deep, guttural roar in return as she made her way towards the mountain, scaring the few people who were brave enough to stay out during her presence. I snickered at the thought that she was probably laughing at them, and I felt myself lose balance, falling backwards. I fell onto Lola, right in between the two heads, and the dragon carried me over to the couch where Grimsley laid sprawled. He sat up when we got closer and helped me onto the couch beside him, leaning over and draping his arm protectively around me.

"I know you are feeling good right now, but let your body have some time to catch up." He commanded, and I nodded and leaned into him in a weird sort of hug.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. So, 3 questions. Where are my other pokemon, where are we, and who dressed me? Preferably in that order please." I asked, making everyone except Caitlin laugh. Cynthia stepped forward and sat on the other side of me on the couch.

"Everyone is on the upper floors, scarfing up my food. I really hope I have enough to feed that Salamence of yours." She said, pointing to the stairs. I shrunk in embarrassment, but Cynthia only laughed and patted my shoulder comfortingly.

"Don't worry about it, Grimsley and Caitlin told me she just evolved. Shelgon don't eat at all so when they turn into Salamence they are absolutely ravenous. Anyway, you're in my Villa, which you are more than welcome to stay in for the entire time you are in Undella Town. And I dressed you with Garchomp and Lola's help. Caitlin considered it beneath her." She said, making the woman huff. Without warning, Caitlin slumped to the side and started to fall, and only Garchomp's fast reflexes kept her from hitting the floor. Grimsley cackled at what just happened, though Cynthia only shook her head and barely suppressed a chuckle of her own while I blinked in confusion.

"Does that happen often?" I asked, still confused.

"Yes it does. And it's hilarious every single time." Grimsley said as he struggled to compose himself.

"How is she a member of the Elite 4? I don't see how she can battle if she's going to fall asleep halfway through." I asked. Cynthia patted my shoulder softly again while Garchomp carried Caitlin to a chair.

"Well, her position as a member of the Elite 4 is sort of shared between her and her pokemon. They'll still battle even when she falls asleep." She explained while Grimsley calmed down.

"She'll usually only fall asleep for a few minutes, but on a really bad day she'll wake up long enough to call out another pokemon if one gets defeated." He said, and I nodded, not quite understanding but not wanting to argue.

"So, any other surprises I should know about?" I asked, looking back and forth between my master and the Sinnoh champion.

"Shauntal and Marshal will be here too. The Elite 4 Challenge is suspended right now, so they should be here soon." Grimsley said with a nod. Cynthia reached towards the coffee table in front of us while Garchomp wedged herself between it and the couch, seeking more pets from me.

"Anyone have a preference on what we should watch?" Cynthia said as she grabbed the remote, turning on the giant flatscreen in front of us. While she channel surfed, debating with Grimsley on what to watch, I continued to pet Garchomp, Lola lumbering up to the couch and poking the back of my head with her two snouts. I smiled and allowed myself to heave a huge sigh of relief, letting out a breath I didn't know I had been holding. Aside from the heatstroke, all was calm again, and with the presence of a champion and 2 of the Elite 4, with the other 2 on the way, I couldn't have been safer. I relaxed into the back of the couch, feeling the caress of Lola's heads and Garchomp propping my feet up, and I smiled.

If this was a dream, I didn't want to wake up.

TBC

Aww, I lost the community who added me. And they looked like they only chose the cream of the crop too. That sucks :( Also, I noticed that I used the word "as" a lot in the last chapter. Sorry about that. I'll be more careful with it XD

Okay so we had a little sick scare there, but we're all good. And yes, that was a Shiny Audino. No, I did not actually ENCOUNTER a Shiny Audino in Black 2 *and I doubt I would have caught it anyway since it's Black 2, a rom that I have a shiny cheat code for anyway*, but I felt the alternate coloration was necessary so we could distinguish between them.

You guys don't think I'm going overboard with Caitlin do you? I mean, she WAS known for massive temper-tantrums in Platinum. And she's still kinda rude in BW and BW2. Speaking of the 5th gen games, in Black and White, her chamber is pretty much her bedroom and we have to wake up her EVERY time we challenge her. And she yawns in both timestream's VS sprites. It makes sense to me to have her be a narcoleptic bitch XD

Imma get some sleep now. More Undella fun tomorrow. Night guys!


	53. Chapter 52: Cuddle Piles Galore!

I was almost asleep again when I felt something slam into me and throw me over the back of the couch. I yelped in surprise and reached out to grab the couch, but luckily Lola was right behind me anyway, and broke my fall with her broad, sturdy back. Opening my eyes, I saw Keldeo's big, child-like ones staring at me in glee, and from the light blue I saw flashing on the sides of its head as it bore down on me, I guessed it was so happy to see me it wagged its tail.

'_You're okay! You're really okay! We got really scared when you didn't wake up after the Heatran led us outside. Even my Icy Wind didn't make you feel better!_' It said nuzzling my head with its snout. I smiled and wrapped my arms around Keldeo's neck, patting its back softly.

"So what happened after that, Keldeo?" I asked. Keldeo stopped nuzzling me and turned to look at me again.

'_While we were panicking and trying to get you to wake up, everyone in Undella Town started screaming because of Heatran and how distressed she looked. So a tall blonde lady with a Garchomp came down to the crater where Reversal Mountain let out, and she and Caitlin were able to find out that you had heatstroke. So they put you on my back and I carried you while Garchomp led us to this house, since I was the only one in the group who can keep up with a Garchomp at top speed._' Keldeo explained. I blinked and started pushing it off of me, sitting up on Lola's back. I reached up to pet the two heads, who warbled softly, before I stood up, grabbing onto the couch and shakily making my way around it to sit down again. With assistance from Cynthia and Grimsley, I safely made it back to my seat, and Keldeo leapt over us, landing in front of the coffee table before turning around to look at me, sitting down.

"Wow, I didn't mean to make everyone panic. Sorry guys." I said sheepishly. Keldeo laughed and barked something at Garchomp, who immediately stood and leered down at me, though I'm sure she didn't mean to since Garchomp faces looked like they were eternally angry like Haxorus faces were.

'_Don't worry about us, we totally understand. After Garchomp and I brought you back here, Cynthia and Caitlin came a few minutes later riding on the Dragonair. And then sometime after them, Grimsley and Heatran showed up._' It continued, looking upstairs.

'_Your pokeballs opened up right then, and your pokemon were so upset to see you like that. Cynthia and Garchomp managed to convince them that they could help, and that we should go upstairs to wait, but Lola and Dragonair, er, Beth, refused to leave you. Everyone else left only when Cynthia promised to bring up a LOT of food for them and Sarah. Then they dressed you, and I saw them make up an old pokemon remedy._' Keldeo said with a smile, and I blinked again at it in confusion.

"The Garchomp scales?" I asked. Keldeo nodded and smiled up at Garchomp.

'_Yep. Not a lot of humans know this, but there are a lot of minerals and oils in Gabite scales that help them stay healthy. So in pokemon communities they are typically a hot commodity for medicine. Only a few humans know this, and so I was surprised that they started preparing it. Cynthia and Garchomp felt bad that Garchomp was well past the Gabite stage, but Heatran said it wouldn't matter. When she said that, Lola pounced onto Garchomp and the right head pulled out a bunch of scales from her face that Caitlin took. Then she put them in a metal bowl with some water from Beth's pearls, and then handed it to Heatran. I didn't know Heatran feet were so flexible. She turned her foot over and clutched the bowl in her fingers and heated it up._' It said, a sudden smile breaking out on its face.

'_She almost melted the bowl. Anyway, after that she poured it into another cup that Cynthia held out, and we tried to get it in you. It was tough to make you drink it because of how bitter it was, but we got it, and I left to join the other pokemon upstairs because I knew I would get in the way._' Keldeo said, snorting and nodding curtly after it finished its story. I smiled at Keldeo's words and looked at the stairs, occasionally hearing a thump in the ceiling. I stretched my arms over my head and gently nudged Garchomp so I could stand up, wobbling for a moment. Little by little, my strength was returning, though I still had to be careful.

"What are you doing Vixen?" Grimsley asked, moving to stand up to help me.

"I wanna let everyone know I'm okay. Where upstairs are they, Cynthia?" I asked as Beth slithered over to me, pulling me into her coils. Cynthia smiled and shook her head, crossing her arms.

"There aren't any individual rooms upstairs. It's just a rec room with access to the balcony. They won't be hard to find." She told me. I nodded gratefully at her and adjusted myself on my Dragonair. Thankfully Beth was very patient, staying perfectly still and moving only when I pushed a coil. When I got comfortable on her back, Beth crooned and began floating, gracefully carrying me to the stairs and up them while Lola followed diligently behind.

"How are you doing this Beth? No offense, but Dragonair look too heavy to fly." I asked, blinking. Beth laughed softly at me and I felt her brush her tail on my hair, assuring me that no offense was taken. She turned her head and moaned at Lola, stopping at a door at the top of the stairs.

'_It's her pearls. The pearls on her neck and tail hold a lot of Dragon Energy in them, and she's able to convert that energy in several ways._' Said Lo bluntly, explaining everything and nothing at once. If she had eyes, I'm sure La would have rolled them at her partner's explanation. Instead, she perked her head up with a smile.

'_With the Dragon Energy, she can produce attacks of many different pokemon types. Or, in this case, convert it into a force that will repel gravity, allowing her to float like so. She says it doesn't take a lot of energy to do this, but she can't achieve true flight._' La explained, clarifying it a little bit for me. Lo snorted and snapped at La, stretching her neck out to me so that she couldn't retaliate.

'_She can glide and jump really high, but that uses up a lot of energy, and it's better to save that kind of energy for attacking. For something like this though, it's hardly anything to her._' Lo told me, trying to prove that she too could explain things thoroughly. La growled and pulled Lo's neck back, and the two heads began to argue. I felt my eye twitch at them, and tried to shove my annoyance down their mental throats, but they continued to snarl and snap at each other. With a sigh, I turned to Beth's patient, though equally strained face, and I patted her neck.

"Do you mind?" I asked. Her eyes narrowed mischievously, and I had a funny feeling that she was smiling. I held on as she brought her tail forward, dying it a deep blue and slamming it between Lola's two heads. The Zweilous yelped in surprise before being pulled inside her pokeball, and they both assaulted me with mental protests.

'_You can come out when you learn to behave._' I replied to them, and I felt their sadness in response. That's another thing that sucks about being mentally connected to a two headed pokemon. Double the emotions. It was bad enough when I felt Lola's negative feelings BEFORE she evolved, but now it's like crying in stereo.

'_We'll be good! We promise!_' Lo whined in my head.

'_Let us stay out with you!_' Cried La. I rolled my eyes and leaned back on Beth, raising Lola's pokeball and letting her back out.

"Guys, I don't have time for this, okay? I just wanna go say hi to the others and then go to bed." I said in an annoyed tone. Lola warbled softly, but otherwise said nothing. With a sigh, Beth and I turned back to the door, and I reached over and carefully opened it, dismounting Beth and stepping inside.

As Cynthia said, it was just a studio rec room. Game tables were pushed up against every wall, and there was a large flat screen TV similar to the one downstairs with a bunch of gaming systems in front of it. A bar stood in the back of the room, separating it from a small kitchen area that had only a fridge and several cabinets. Zachary stood in it, leaning on his elbows on the bar while chewing something, obviously bored and/or anxious about something while Sorrel and Sarah sat in the center of the room, gorging themselves on various meats and snacks. Turning to the left of the doorway, I saw a wall made entirely of glass with a pair of French Doors in the center, leading to the balcony which looked sizable itself, harboring a patio set and a large barbecue.

"Mence!" I heard Sarah cry suddenly. I jerked my head in the direction of the pokemon, and all three of them were staring at me like I was a ghost from beyond the grave. Sorrel and Sarah had stopped mid-chew to look at me, and thus their cheeks were gorged like a Pachirisu that was gathering nuts. Without warning, Zachary leapt over the counter and flew past Sorrel and Sarah, moving fast enough to blow Sorrel's hat off his head, and stopped in front of me. He lashed out and grabbed me in his arms, cradling me and cuddling me against his chest while he whimpered and mewled uncontrollably. Sorrel and Sarah protested in the background, and with a reluctant growl Zachary carried me over to the others, who had moved their food away so that I had a place to sit.

As soon as I went down, I was surrounded by all of my pokemon. Sorrel curled up behind me while Zachary draped himself over my lap, Sarah coming up behind us and holding her wings forward to wrap me up in them. Lola and Beth had joined us and Lola patted up in front of us and laid down, crooning while her two heads laid across Zachary to nuzzle my belly through Sarah's wings, and Beth curled around us protectively. I smiled as we all got settled in our cuddle pile, and no words were needed at that point in time. As I slowly but surely drifted off to sleep, I felt the love from my pokemon radiate at the same time as the warmth they enveloped me in. It was a comforting warmth, unlike the plain heat of Reversal Mountain, and I secretly hoped that Cynthia and Grimsley would let me stay up here for the night so that I could be with my furry and scaly family. I looked out past the French Doors at the darkening sunset, and realized that right now, I wanted nothing more than a quiet, peaceful night's sleep. I dared anyone to try to disturb me and my pokemon while my eyes closed for the final time today.

Not that they would.

TBC

Why is my underline failing now?! Dammit FF, you're breaking my fanfics!

By the way, Keldeo did all the talking in the story with what happened to Vixen because it's kind of an unspoken rule not to interrupt a legendary. Even an adorable one like Keldeo.

I have a new poll up that I need you guys to answer. I've been brushing up on my tropes lately and looking at which ones would best fit the story. The current poll is concerning Cory, since I've seen some really angry reviews at him. Personally, I'd cast my vote at Jerk With A Heart Of Gold, as that's how I'm trying to write him, but I want to know how you guys feel. Go cast your votes and please, be honest. Your vote will change the direction I go not just with Cory, but with the story too. Even if everyone votes the same way I do, if even one person votes for say, the Scrappy, I'll find a way to tweak him.

Sorry this was so short, I wanted to get Vixen asleep again so that I'd have an excuse for her recovering from her heatstroke *because sleep = full recovery, I think we've established this*. I hereby declare next chapter to be full of whimsy! Or derp. Depending on if Caitlin is awake when Shauntal gets here. Oh my god. Caitlin and Shauntal in the same room? Sweet mother of Arceus I'm half dreading and half excited at the thought of writing that.

Next Chapter away!


	54. Chapter 53: Defense of Power

When I woke up, I felt three things. Two soft tongues and ravenous hunger tearing through me. I groaned as I struggled to open my eyes, but the bright light in the room made them hurt. The sea of fur and scales that I was wrapped up in started moving, and my pokemon moaned while they pulled themselves awake as well.

'_Vixen, it's time to wake up._' Said La gently, licking my face again.

'_Everyone except us are on the balcony. I smell bacon and eggs! We gotta get up before it's all gone!_' Lo said before she started pulling me. I growled and pushed her head away, turning over and curling up further under Sarah's wing and snuggling into Zachary and Sorrel.

"Then go get some, leave me alone it's too bright." I groaned. Lola huffed at me in response. Instead of doing as I asked to claim her breakfast, she reached under the wing and grabbed the bottom of my pajama shirt and the waistband of my pants, forcefully dragging me out from the cuddle pile.

"LOLA! Put me down!" I cried. Lola huffed and turned around with me dangling from her mouthes, stomping towards the balcony. I hissed in pain while my eyes forced themselves to adjust to the bright light quickly. When my vision returned to normal and focused, I saw Grimsley, Bisharp, and Garchomp sitting at the table watching us while trying desperately not to laugh. Caitlin and Gothitelle looked at me distastefully in their seats while Cynthia focused on the barbecue, refusing to turn around. Lola walked through the open door and dropped me at the table, going back inside to rouse the rest of the pokemon. I stood up and shook my head roughly, dusting myself off.

"I have no idea what's gotten into her." I said as I pulled out a chair and sat next to Grimsley while he snickered.

"It's kind of my fault. She was getting too close to the barbecue, so I told her she had to wait until you and the rest of your pokemon were up first." Cynthia said sheepishly. I glared at her back while Lola roused the others when I heard Caitlin huff.

"I would NEVER allow my pokemon to disrespect me like that." She said haughtily, making Grimsley and Bisharp glare at her. I turned my gaze over to her as well and let a smirk plant itself on my face.

"That's because you aren't awake long enough to give them permission. Should you be sitting against the railing like that?" I asked. Caitlin glared hard at me while Grimsley snorted in laughter.

"I'll have you know that my center of gravity is well below the rail, so even if I DO fall asleep I'll be perfectly safe, you little runt." She said, crossing her arms. Grimlsey glared harder, but I just laughed and rested my elbows on the table.

"'Little runt'? Is THAT the best you can do, Madam Narcolepsy? I would hope that with all the sleep you get, you'd dream up better insults than that. If I had a penny for every time someone called me a 'little runt', I'd have enough money to reimburse Grimsley's family, and still have a little leftover for me." I replied, and Grimsley roared with laughter. Caitlin maintained her glare at me, and I just smiled lovingly at her.

"Face it, you aren't going to out-snark someone with a Dark Affinity. Let's agree to disagree?" I asked, offering my hand. She stared angrily at my hand as though she wanted to set it on fire, but eventually agreed and gave it a brief touch, wiggling my hand up and down, and then turning away. Cynthia finished making breakfast by this time and started serving it up to us.

"Come on, it's barely 8. Can we wait to kill each other until AFTER breakfast?" She asked with a smile. I chuckled and nodded at her before I turned to Grimsley.

"Sorry about taking that swing at you." I told him, but he smiled and waved his hand dismissively at me.

"Don't worry about it, you shut up Caitlin, so I'll take everything you've got. Besides, the family's fall from grace had nothing to do with me. Anyone who would take offense to that has been disowned." He said with a wink. I grinned and turned to my plate, tucking into my scrambled eggs.

"So how exactly do you barbecue scrambled eggs?" I asked after the first mouthful, turning to Cynthia who sat down after relinquishing the barbecue to Garchomp to start breakfast for the pokemon.

"You just need a griddle plate. I set it on the grill after I got the fire started and made the eggs and bacon on that." She explained. She started eating her own food while her Garchomp cooked rather skillfully, and I was in awe.

"I'm amazed at how versatile you are Garchomp." I said, making her smile at me. Cynthia's eyes flashed with pride for a brief moment before she returned to just being cheerful. I went back to eating my food, but I couldn't help but notice a weird exchange between her and my Master. They just stared at each other, never turning away even as they ate, and it was kind of unsettling. Then I heard the slam of a door, and then a soft moan behind me. I began to feel tired again and yawned, turning behind me to see a Chandelure.

"Ack!" I yelped, jumping out of my seat. Caitlin giggled at me, but I tuned her out and focused on the purple ghost pokemon in front of me. Shauntal appeared in the window and quickly walked out, flicking her Chandelure.

"Silly Chandelure, you frighten people when you do that. Sorry Vixen, she likes to introduce herself to new people by eating a bit of their souls. She's perfectly harmless." Shauntal said in the most nonchalant tone. I stared at her distracted face, my mouth unable to close, while I thought of the best response to that.

"Harmless? It just ate her SOUL. I can't think of anything worse to say about that!" Caitlin shrieked, and for once, we were in agreement.

"That about sums up what I was thinking." I said absently. Shauntal just smiled absently and sat down in my seat while Marshal entered the balcony, a Conkeldurr stomping behind him.

"Um, should I go into another room? Far away from here?" He asked, blinking while Caitlin glared at Shauntal, who made no reactions aside from staring into space.

"I…don't…know?" I said, blinking stupidly. Grimsley chuckled and reached out to grab me, pulling me into his lap. He scooted the chair back and held me tightly against him, grinning at the two women.

"This could be fun. Let's watch." He said. I sighed and shook my head, leaning against him.

"Arceus help us all. Shauntal, you sat in my chair. Can I have my food please?" I asked. She briefly turned to look at me before looking down at the half-eaten food in front of her.

"Oh! Thank you I was wondering what to do about this. I don't have room for my laptop. Here you go Vixen, thanks for clearing room." She chirped, picking up the plate and stretching her arm out to me. I took the food from her and started quietly munching when she pulled out her computer, setting it down and turning it on. Caitlin scoffed and crossed her arms, and by the look in Grimsley's eyes I could tell I was in for a treat.

"Wow, breakfast and a show. What a concept." I muttered, making Grimsley snort in response.

"Don't you EVER think of anything other than writing those silly stories of yours? The world does not revolve around literature!" She screeched. Shauntal tuned her out and continued to type away on her laptop, mumbling to herself. I watched in amused silence at the scene before me. Shauntal continued her writing and Caitlin glared at her with increasing fury. The longer she was ignored, the angrier she got. Cynthia watched in passive silence until the table began to rumble, and Shauntal lifted her laptop and smiled absently, turning to me.

"The beach is nice to visit in the mornings. It's such a great place for inspiration! Wanna come with me Vixen?" She asked randomly. I blinked mid-bite and swallowed my food, nodding slowly.

"Um, sure. I'll need to get dressed though." I mumbled. Grimsley snorted and tightened his grip on me briefly in a hug, letting me go.

"Cynthia and I found a bathing suit for you. It's downstairs in the room you woke up in." He said, letting me stand up. Marshal's Conkeldurr stared at my mostly-eaten plate of food hungrily, and with a nod from Marshal, I held it out to the pokemon. It set down it's concrete pillars inside the rec room and gratefully took it.

"So, is that my room for the rest of the trip?" I asked as Conkeldurr shifted to hold its plate with one hand and reaching out to pat my head with the other, disappearing to go eat.

"Yep. It's the furthest room in the villa. I specifically requested that room so that you could be safe. If Team Plasma wants to get at you, they'll have to break the skylight or break through the front door first." Grimsley said, leaning forward. I frowned and crossed my arms, hearing Lola stomp up to me and nudge my shoulders with her two heads.

"And I'm not going to go anywhere by myself, am I?" I asked pointedly, narrowing my eyes at Grimsley. Everyone around me except for him and Caitlin suddenly looked guilty, even the absentminded Shauntal seemed less excited. Grimsley stared at me from his seat, standing up and walking over to me. He loomed over me and Lola in a frightening manner, but I stood my ground.

"Not without at least 2 pokemon with you." He said quietly.

"If you are trying to intimidate me into rolling over and doing what you want me to do, then you don't know me that well. I'm not going down without a fight here." I said with equal deadliness. Even Zachary's Night Slash wouldn't be able to cut through the tension that enveloped us. It was just me against Grimsley right now.

"That is precisely why I am doing this. I KNOW you won't go down without a fight, but you need to face facts Vixen. Team Plasma is trying to kill you. If they get the chance, they will do it. I was WITH you the night we saved our pokemon in the sewers. They know full well what you and Lola are capable of." He said, slowly creeping over to me. I instinctively began backing up, and Lola growled, but otherwise did not interfere.

"You have the same willpower and strength that Carina has. Carina used that to shatter everything they worked for. She single-handedly awakened Reshiram and used her power to shame them beyond comprehension. They are trying to climb out of the hole she dug and threw them into now." He continued.

"And I'm going to keep them down there." I replied. Grimsley suddenly struck out and grabbed my shoulders with both hands, gently but firmly squeezing them.

"Not on your own you're not!"

"Why!?"

"Because you aren't a Hero of Unova!" We shouted at each other. Grimsley and I glared fiercely into each other's eyes, unwilling to back down. The tension grew even more around us, and no one knew what to do. Lola wasn't going to put up with it though, and without my command, she put herself between me and Grimsley, Lo growling at him while La pushed me onto her back.

"I may not be a Hero, but I DO have a mighty dragon. Lola isn't Reshiram or Zekrom, but she doesn't need to be for me to put Team Plasma in their place. The only reason that Carina needed Reshiram to take them down the first time was because N had Zekrom and was their leader. Maybe they have their sibling, but Kyurem is no Reshiram or Zekrom either, and Zachary made it clear that Team Plasma does not have its loyalty either. I appreciate the help, but if you think you can lock me out of this fight you're too little too late. They ARE trying to kill me, so whether you like it or not I AM involved in this fight, and I fight my own battles. I don't need all of you to keep protecting me like I'm a helpless child. Let's go Lola." I said, crossing my arms and glaring. Lola snorted and started towards the door, but Bisharp quickly moved to stand between us, looking stoic with a slight tinge of worry.

"Out of my way or I will blow you out of the way with Dragon Pulse." I said menacingly. Bisharp's eyes widened briefly and she stepped aside, letting Lola go through uncontested. My pokemon looked at me, and to say they were worried was an understatement. I just ignored them and held onto Lola as she took me downstairs, stomping over to where my room was. She let me off and stood guard as I ran inside, quickly changing into my travel gear and slinging my bag onto my back, rushing back out. Lola still stood guard in front of the door, but the rest of my pokemon had made it downstairs, faithfully waiting for me in the living room.

'_They wanna come, but it's not for the reason you think._' Lo said as I mounted the dragon.

'_We wanna be with you so that we can be there for you when you want us._' La explained. We started moving towards the front door, and I watched Sorrel, Zachary, Sarah and Beth fall in line behind us. We marched out of the Villa and started towards the beach, and I didn't look back. I heard Grimsley, Marhsal and Bisharp call out to me, but I ignored them and leaned down on Lola, gripping Lo's neck tightly. I felt tears poke into my eyes and shook my head furiously.

"Lola, run. Run, now!" I commanded. She obeyed me without question and charged through the sand quickly, and I heard my other pokemon pick up the pace behind us. We kept charging towards the water, and at this point I couldn't tell if it was the wind from the sea or my own tears, but I was all but blinded when we turned a corner, hiding behind a cliff. I leapt off of Lola and leaned against the cliff to compose myself.

"Guys, go play." I commanded silently in a voice that was almost too thick with emotion to be my own. Although I heard the sound of feet kicking up sand and moving away, I felt both of Lola's minds envelop mine. I turned to see the pokemon moving about the beach, Sorrel and Beth staring at the sea while Sarah and Zachary frolicked in the water. But Lola, ever so stubborn and loyal, planted her feet firmly into the ground, standing as tall as she could in front of me. I sniffled and collapsed on her, my knees digging into the sand. I hugged Lola's necks tightly and let out all of the emotions I had built up from my fight with Grimsley, crying into her down. Lola laid down in the sand and cradled me in her two heads, crooning softly to soothe me as I cried. I barely paid attention to anything else around me, like the joyful cries of my pokemon or the footsteps slowly approaching me. Because, at that moment in time.

It was just me and Lola.

* * *

TBC

HUZZAH! I FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO THAT GODDAMN BORDER! TAKE THAT FF! I'll still do the one-liners, but they won't be underlined anymore.

Intense chapter, huh? I got kinda stuck about halfway through because I derped on the date, and thought that Vixen's birthday was MARCH 20th, not April. I was getting ready to start a surprise party chapter and stuff until I went to edit her stats on my profile. That threw me for a loop and threw me off big-time. I think I compensated for that nicely though. I admit I had set up the Caitlin/Shauntal fight to be a lot more than what it was, but then I got sidetracked by Grimsley and Vixen. Don't worry, there will be more fun when the tension dies down.

Now that I worked through the birthday block, I'll get the next chapter out soon.


	55. Chapter 54: The Known and Unknown

The footsteps that I heard in the sand continued slowly, approaching me and Lola as I cried. Since Lola was not growling and the rest of my pokemon weren't reacting, I knew it wasn't a threat. I didn't know much beyond that though because I was just so emotionally wound up, I couldn't focus my mind to speak to Lola, or even will myself to look up. The footsteps stopped and I heard a light thump behind me. A hand gently pressed itself on my back and started rubbing it in circles. Between that and Lola's crooning, I was comforted enough to get my thoughts together, and I lifted my head to look at the ocean, refusing to turn around.

"Go away, Grimsley. I want to be alone with my pokemon right now." I muttered. The hand never strayed though, and I tensed up for another fight, rounding on the invader. I stopped and relaxed slightly seeing it was not my Master comforting me, but Shauntal, who looked uncharacteristically focused right now. She smiled warmly at me, her Chandelure floating behind her, and she retracted her hand.

"I know you don't want to be alone. You just don't want to face his wrath." She said, clearly struggling to not be cryptic so that I wouldn't strain my mind to understand her. I sniffled and threw myself into her, rubbing my face in the softness of the ribbon on her neck. She encircled me with her arms and hugged me lightly, allowing me to move freely. I sobbed into her shoulder while Lola rubbed my back with her snouts, and after a few minutes I calmed down again, fully composing myself after a shaky breath. I turned in Shauntal's grip and leaned against her, and we stared out at the sea. Lola moved out of the way and laid down next to Shauntal, her two heads resting in the sand.

"I'm just tired of everyone trying to shield me from harm. I want to help. I want to stop Team Plasma with my own strength." I said after awhile. I looked up to see Shauntal nodding slowly, her eyes coming back out of focus.

"Do you know what the difference between you and Carina is?" She asked me. I looked down and started drawing in the sand with my finger.

"She's taller and she has one of the dragons that helped build Unova from the ground up." I muttered. Shauntal gently encircled my waist with her arms and gave me a light squeeze.

"From the day she was born, Carina was destined to be the Hero of Truth. Her story was not her own, and it still isn't. That story belongs to the dragons. They have chosen many protagonists before Carina and N, and they will choose many more after Carina and N depart for the afterlife." She said, gently pushing me out of her lap. I turned in the sand to look at her, her face back to it's slightly creepy state.

"I don't understand?" I said, blinking at her. Shauntal smiled and turned to the bag beside her, reaching inside and pulling out a book. She held out the book to me and I stared at the cover. It was a paperback copy of '8 Pages'. I blinked at it and turned back to her, more confused than ever.

"You've seen the movie yes? Do you remember what happens?" She asked. I blinked and looked back down at the book.

"Yeah, the girl got all 8 pages, but she disappeared." I said, still blinking. I looked up to see her open-mouthed smile.

"Very good! I helped direct that movie myself, so it is as close to the book as Pokestar Studios could get. Now, open the book to 8th Page, Part 2, and read it." She said. I did as she asked, opening the book to be greeted by the chapter marker '1st Page, Part 1'. Guessing that's how the chapters were separated, I skipped ahead to the section Shauntal told me and was greeted by a longer, more descriptive version of the ending of '8 Pages'. Although much more eloquent, the ending was the same.

"I don't get it. She still died at the end. Or disappeared. It's never really clear." I mumbled.

"Exactly." Shauntal piped up. I blinked stupidly at her and handed the book back over to her.

"Okay, I'm really lost now." I said. She just continued her strange grin and held the book up between us.

"No matter how many times you open the book, no matter how many times you watch the movie, the fate of my protagonist is the same. She will always strive to collect the pages, and the Slendoark will always catch her in the end. Hero and Monster are forever intertwined in an unchanging fate." She explained, still holding the novel.

"What does that have to do with me and Carina? Truth and Ideals aren't absolute, neither value is more important than the other. N easily could have won that battle." I told her. Shauntal chuckled and brought the book down in her lap.

"But he didn't. And the reason he didn't is because Truth and Ideals ARE absolute, and are absolutely dependent on each other. N lost only because his ideals were based on lies, and Carina won only because she was fighting to protect the true ideals. Even though the legends say they are separate, Reshiram and Zekrom were once the same being, and that goes for their values as well. They may hold onto their value above all others, but they acknowledge the existence and importance of the other." She continued.

"Huh?" I asked, more confused.

"In other words, Reshiram and Zekrom don't exist to force Truth or Ideals on the world, they exist to protect them and the Status Quo. If, by some miracle, N had instead been chosen by Reshiram and Carina got Zekrom, the result would have been the same. Carina would have STILL maintained the status quo, and the world would have still balanced out. No matter how many times it plays out, the story of the dragons will always end the same. THAT is absolute." She finished. I stared at the book in her lap, biting my lip and thinking hard.

"But then, where do I fit into all of this?" I asked. Shauntal frowned and held the book back out to me, and we held it firmly between us as though we felt a connection.

"I don't know. In all the years I've researched the Legend of Unova, a story like yours has never come up. Once the Heroes of Unova were chosen by their dragons and successfully put down whatever the problem at hand is, imbalance did not rear its head again until _AFTER_ the heroes passed on and the Dragons need to select the next ones. Your story is unique in that not ONLY are the two heroes still alive, but evil is rising up again and clearly marking YOU as the protagonist for this story." She said, finally letting go of the book and sighing.

"We don't understand where or why the pattern broke, but we know this is going in a much different direction than normal. Fate was on Carina's side, and she lived because the Hero of Truth always does along with the Hero of Ideals, but we don't know how you fit into all of that. THAT is why we are scared for you. We don't know where your path will lead you, so we want to prepare you as much as we can. As much as we would like to, we cannot write your story for you. You will have to create your own ending. So we'll do our best to give you everything you need. We've created a protective bubble for you here in Undella not because you are weak, but so that you can continue to refine your abilities without worrying about being attacked." She said, smiling at me. I looked at her incredulously, but she seemed distracted.

"Shauntal?" I asked. She just shook her head and started petting Lo's head.

"You just relax and build up your strength, and let us worry about the bad guys. When you are ready, I'm sure you can create the happy ending we want for you" She said. I smiled and leaned in, hugging Shauntal tightly.

"Thank you. For everything." I said, turning to Lola.

'_Who needs Reshiram and Zekrom? We've been doing just fine on our own!_' Lo said with a snarl.

'_We should go back._' La said quietly. I sighed and patted her neck, standing up with the book in my arms.

"So, Lola said we should go back to the Villa. I guess she's right, huh?" I asked, turning to Shauntal. She smiled and reached back into her bag, pulling out a sapphire one piece swimsuit.

"Maybe not right now. Grimsley needs time to think about your place in the story just like you do. He'll be alright, Caitlin and Cynthia will help him figure out the plot. I think you are long overdue for some playtime with your pokemon." She told me. I smiled and reached out to grab the garment, smiling down at it. Grimsley still has great taste in fashion. I took off my bag and carefully placed Shauntal's book inside, tossing the bag down beside her.

"You sure no one is worried about us?" I asked. Shauntal pulled out a notebook and a pen and began scribbling something on it, waving dismissively at me.

"No reason to. We're following the most basic demand of horror that audiences scream for." She said, making me blink as I turned to the ocean.

"Which is?" I asked, still blinking.

"Never go out alone. Now go on, go enjoy yourself and take a break from the angst. We'll go back when everyone has had a chance to calm down." She said, never turning away from her writing. I briefly turned around to smile at her before looking back at the ocean.

"Hey Sarah! Mind helping me out here?" I yelled. My pokemon turned to me with smiles on their faces, the red and blue dragon eagerly flying to my side.

"I uh, need to change. Can you give me some cover?" I asked. Sarah smiled and reared up, slamming her tail in the sand to anchor her while she sat down and leaned over. Bringing her wings forward and bending them, Sarah gave me plenty of over to change out of my clothes and into my bathing suit, and when I finished I leaned in closer to her and gave her a hug. Sarah crooned and sat up, leaning towards the side to avoid crushing me. Lola stood up with an excited yelp, dusting Shauntal with a layer of sand. The woman made no reaction beyond brushing it off her notebook and continued to write, and I started towards the water.

"Last one there's a Trubbish!" I yelled, running past Sarah. I heard her and Lola stomping after me, and when my feet hit the wet sand a shadow loomed over me and I felt a pair of claws wrap around me. I screamed as I left the ground, and the minute I was over the water my kidnapper dropped me. I fell into the water with a yelp and when I surfaced, I found all of my pokemon rolling around, dying of laughter minus Sarah, who flew around me in circles, cackling like a mad pokemon.

"Oh yeah?! Well two can play at that game! Beth, use Aqua Tail!" I yelled. My Dragonair sang in delight as she stirred the water with her tail, bringing it up and slamming the twisting column of water onto Sarah. The Salamence yelped and splashed into the water behind me, creating a large wave that carried me to shore at a fast rate. Sorrel yelped and did a 180, running for dear life from the wave that carried me until he was standing next to Shauntal, and he glared at the two dragons, chattering angrily and shaking a fist at them. Beth paid no mind to him as she gently glided over the water, but Sarah pulled one of her eyelids down and stuck her tongue out mockingly at him. Zachary and Lola joined in the fun at Sorrel's expense, mooning him and shaking their rumps at him. Sorrel got pissed and launched a Flamethrower at us, but we all dived simultaneously to avoid the fiery stream, and I felt a bit mischievous myself when I surfaced.

"What's the matter Sorrel? It's just a little water!" I taunted. Sorrel snorted and crossed his arms, turning away from us stubbornly. I couldn't help but join my pokemon in their laughter, flipping on my back and letting the sea carry me further into the ocean. My ears submerged, I heard a fast splashing on the water, and I turned to see Keldeo running towards us. When it got close, it trotted up to where I was floating and stopped, standing on the water. I blinked slowly at it and righted myself, staring at Keldeo.

"How are you doing that?" I asked. Keldeo smiled and squatted on the water, unable to really sit on it.

'_I dunno. I've always been able to do this. For some reason I've never been able to actually go under the water. I can only stand on it. Suicune can go underwater though. I'm gonna ask it to teach me the next time I see it._' It said with a smile, swishing its tail. I started grinning and slowly swam closer to Keldeo, and Lola joined from underwater to help.

"Maybe you don't need Suicune. All you need is a little push." I said, stepping on Lola and leaping up. Keldeo yelped as I grabbed onto it's neck, Lo pulling its tail while La grabbed a hoof, and we pulled Keldeo into the water with us. Keldeo looked startled for a minute and struggled under the water, but it blinked a few times and smiled, pulling out of our grip and swimming away.

'_Hey thanks! This is actually really cool! It's so pretty down here!_' It said, swimming into deeper water. I smiled under the water and started swimming after Keldeo, Lola paddling beside me, and we came up to a small reef filled with lots of water pokemon. Beth, Sarah and Zachary joined us while we explored, and the pokemon under the water were beautiful. I didn't have my pokedex with me, even though it was waterproof, but Keldeo didn't seem to have any trouble identifying the pokemon one by one even though this was its first time underwater.

'_That's a Remoraid, and those are Frillish. Oh look! Finneon and Lumineon!_' It said, pointing out each pokemon. I smiled and looked at each pokemon, but started to feel lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. I started to go up, but a large pokemon flew through the water to me, forcing something into my mouth. I was able to breathe, and I looked to see the rest of my pokemon except for Beth were equipped with a breathing apparatus. The pokemon in front of me smiled and gently flapped it's large "wings".

"Maaaan!" It moaned, swimming back into the deeper water.

'_That was a Mantine. He and his school find those breathing machines on the seafloor all the time, so they keep them for when a human or a non-water pokemon somehow gets under here. He said you can keep it if you wanted, they find around 2 a day._' Keldeo explained. I smiled and waved at Mantine, happy for the gift, and motioned for Keldeo to continue the underwater tour.

We explored the underwater kingdom for hours, meeting with all of the pokemon and occasionally playing with them. Keldeo left us to go tell Shauntal and Sorrel I was okay, but it was fine. The pokemon were all very sweet and helpful, allowing me to pet each and every one and peek into their homes. When the seafloor got really bright and my stomach rumbled, I decided that it was probably time to go get lunch. My pokemon and I bade the sea-dwellers goodbye, and we started for the shore. The current was pretty strong, but with help from some Lumineon we were able to get back to the shallows, and from there me, Zachary, and the dragons pulled ourselves out of the water.

"I hope you weren't worried!" I yelled to Shauntal. She made no reactions to my shout, and upon getting closer I noticed Sorrel and Keldeo were staring at her with the most deadpan expressions I have ever seen a pokemon make.

'_I don't think she even noticed we went underwater, let alone that we were there for hours. There's something wrong with this human._' It said in an equally deadpan tone. I snickered and picked up my pile of clothes, sauntering over to my bag and, after shaking the sand off them, put them inside.

"I'm pretty sure she did. Shauntal looks distracted but I'm starting to think she's always paying attention. She's weird like that." I said, not even attempting to hide it from Shauntal. Regardless of whether or not she heard me, she couldn't deny it. We sat in the sand and stared at her while the sun beat down on us. After a few minutes, Shauntal closed her notebook and quickly put it and her pen inside her bag, standing up with a stretch.

"I'm getting hungry. Ready to go get some lunch?" She asked. I smiled and stood up, though a bit wobbly, and allowed myself to sit on Beth, since she wasn't furry or tired.

"Sure. Lead the way I uh, wasn't paying attention when I came out here." I replied sheepishly. Shauntal didn't even bat an eye as she and Chandelure started forward, my pokemon and Keldeo following loyally behind her. I started feeling an uncomfortable pit in my stomach, remembering how exactly I came to be out here. I whimpered very quietly and started to hug Beth's neck gently, and Keldeo turned to me with a warm smile. Although the look alone was enough to take the edge off my anxiety, it was what Keldeo said next that gave me the most comfort. Words that I have been wanting to hear since the first attempt on my life. True or not, they held a promise that gave the recipient the confidence they needed to move forward.

'_It'll be alright Vixen._'

* * *

TBC

I am so sorry that I keep slinging you guys around like this XD. I swear to Reshiram that it's nothing but relaxing from here on out. I mean it this time.

God I can't remember the last time we had some one-on-one time with Shauntal. I think it was back in the Castelia arc. This conversation was just as random, but had just as big an impact I think. And it kinda kicked the fourth wall a bit, if not pushed the foot right through it XD. Definitely pushing the boundaries of Fourth-Wall abuse though. Done right, hitting/breaking the fourth wall can be kinda fun to read/write. That's one thing that bugs me about FF. Authors tend to put a lot of A/N's in their stories, but most of them don't incorporate them in a clever way and make it relevant to the story. They just hit pause and give you commentary. I'll admit I did this in earlier stories where I had no idea what the hell I was doing, but I've learned since then!. I keep my comments about the story where they belong, AFTER you have read the chapter.

Except during Chapter 13, but that was a necessary evil. Some people REALLY don't like the Slenderman and/or horror, and for lack of a way to say it without sounding arrogant, I wrote that piece well enough that it could have upset a few people. For the others who wouldn't have been upset by the story itself, getting sidetracked randomly like that would not be pleasant for someone who doesn't appreciate that crap.

And that's the end of my note. Imma rest up and start on the next chapter tomorrow. Night all.


	56. Chapter 55: Apologies

As we made our way back into Undella town, I could hear a lot of cheering. I wanted to rush to the sound to investigate it, but that wouldn't have helped me any. It would have delayed the inevitable confrontation I needed to have with my Master. Though I was not looking forward to it in the slightest. He was probably furious with me for walking out, even though all he did was try to protect me. How could I face him after repaying his love like that?

'_You're over thinking things again._' Lo said with a snort.

'_You're more than just a student to him. It's going to take a lot more than seeking some personal space to make him stop loving you._' La told me, crooning while she reached out to me to rub my arm with her snout. Beth crooned as well and craned her neck back, stroking me softly. I chuckled and gently patted both dragons, not noticing where we were going until Beth stopped. Shauntal had led us right to the source of the cheering, and what a sight!

"Stone Edge!"

"Protect yourself with Psychic!" Cynthia and Caitlin's voices called out. I jumped up on Beth and yelped when she took me into her coils. The pearls on Beth glowed brightly and she rose higher, floating over the crowd and ducking her head so I could see. Garchomp had conjured some rocks from under the ground beneath it, and waited for a brief second before thrusting her arms out. The sharp rocks soared through the air with a whistle to Caitlin's side of the field, but Gothitelle stopped the attack in its tracks, turning the points away from it and throwing them back at Garchomp with it's mind alone.

"Counter with Dragon Rush!" Cynthia called. Garchomp covered herself in blue fire and opened her wings, rushing headfirst into the repelled Stone Edge. Catching Caitlin by surprise, Garchomp plowed into Gothitelle with great force. If it were anyone else, the battle would have ended right there, but Caitlin was truly a force to be reckoned with. Garchomp yelped when she found herself floating in the air without her doing anything, and Gothitelle sat up. It stood and dusted itself off while Garchomp hung helplessly in the air, yelping and flailing to get freed.

"Calm down and use Fire Blast!" Cynthia commanded. Garchomp snarled and blasted a massive fireball at Gothitelle, turning into the ancient symbol for fire just before it hit the psychic pokemon. Gothitelle grunted in pain, but was able to remain standing while panting heavily.

"Use Shadow Ball!" Caitlin commanded. Gothitelle quickly created a sphere of spectral energy in its hands, throwing it at the dragon. Garchomp snarled and brought one of her claws forward, slicing through the Shadow Ball with ease. It exploded in a haze of smoke and purple mist, but Garchomp charged through it unscathed. Gothitelle gasped and froze when Garchomp stopped in front of it, holding her sharp claw inches from its face. With a smirk, Garchomp lowered her claw, walking away from Gothitelle to return to Cynthia's side.

"That was very close Caitlin." Cynthia praised, petting her dragon. Caitlin smiled and strode over to her pokemon, grabbing its hand.

"Indeed. You are still a champion of champions." She responded. Both trainers and their pokemon bowed to each other, and turned to the crowd. Cynthia and Caitlin brightened at seeing me above the clamoring fans, but otherwise showed no signs of acknowledging me. I rested my hand on Beth, silently willing her to go down, and we floated back to Shauntal's side.

"They're in a good mood." She chirped. I smiled sheepishly and chuckled, looking around us.

"I don't see Grimsley, or Marshal. I wasn't paying much attention to anything other than the battle though…" I said, looking at the ground. I felt Shauntal's hand touch my shoulder, and I looked up to see her smiling warmly at me, though her eyes were focused elsewhere.

"You are serious about this aren't you? Such blindness makes for an unhappy plot. This won't do. Not at all, a happier story is needed I think." She said, reaching into her bag. She pulled out a Banette-shaped coin purse and held it out to me, gesturing to my right. Before I could protest, she thrusted the money pouch into my hands and tottered off to god knows where. Strangely, her Chandelure didn't follow her, opting to float silently in front of me instead. I blinked a few times at it's still form, but I didn't get tired or feel drained. She wasn't leeching my soul or anything, so I could only assume that Shauntal had given her some kind of silent command or signal for her to stay with me.

With a sigh, I dismounted Beth and started for the direction Shauntal pointed. It was a street with various restaurants and cafes lining one side, providing a perfect view of the ocean. I walked down the street, trying to decide on a place to eat, and found a nice little sandwich shop that looked fairly cozy.

"What can I get ya hun?" One of the waitresses asked as soon as I sat down.

"Can I have a round of Pecha Berry sandwiches for me and my pokemon please?" I asked. The woman smiled and skipped away to get my order, leaving me alone with my pokemon and Chandelure at the table. I noticed Keldeo was no longer with us, and looked to see it on top of the restaurant.

'_Don't worry Vixen, everything's gonna be okay._' It said, smiling warmly at me before bounding away. I smiled after it, but still could not shake free of my shame. I sighed and propped my elbows on the table, burying my face in my hands. My pokemon cooed softly at me, though surprisingly, Lola was very quiet. Maybe Keldeo already summed up what she wanted to say, or the two heads didn't know WHAT they could say to help me feel better. I heard a chair slide out beside me, and felt something drape across my shoulders, and I looked up to see my Master smiling apologetically at me, his jacket wrapped around my shoulders.

"Are you okay?" He asked me. I smiled softly and leaned into him, relief washing over me when he wrapped his arms around me.

"I'm sorry." Was all I could say. He hummed and I felt his chin on top of my head, and he slowly rubbed my back.

"It's not your fault. I know I'm being over protective, I just want to keep you safe while you grow into this role being forced on you." He said, pushing me away and smiling warmly at me.

"If Kyurem was free, I could certainly believe that there could be a change to the legend. I would fully accept Kyurem taking it's place as the Gray in this story of Black and White, and choosing you to be its hero." He explained.

"And because it's in Team Plasma's possession, there is nothing to protect me from it when I force their hand." I said, trying to guess. Grimsley smirked and leaned back, crossing his legs and arms.

"You are embracing your Dark Affinity and thinking like a true master." He said, pride oozing from his voice like Arbok venom.

"Only because I have the perfect teacher." I countered, making him snort.

"Yes well, you haven't exactly made it easy for me." He said, raising a brow at me. I grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of my head, my fingers brushing against the bumpy and flaky skin where my stitches started to dissolve.

"Hey, I only left the pokemon center because I had Shauntal to guide and protect me!" I retorted.

"Because she is such an effective guardian." Grimsley snarked. I huffed and crossed my arms, puffing out my cheeks.

"She is too. She's not totally out of her mind, you know. You yourself admitted that she does know what she's talking about." I countered.

"That doesn't mean _I_ do. It still scares me that you CAN understand everything she's saying." He said with a shudder.

"Only because you taught me how. You have to be clever when dealing with her. Even she knows that she's batshit insane and can be hard to understand. When she found us after I ran off, she was visibly struggling to keep her words simple so that I didn't get a headache." I said, whispering the last part. Grimsley frowned and leaned over to me, reaching for my face. He gently cupped my chin and raised my head up, looking at me sadly.

"I'm truly sorry for upsetting you." He told me. I sniffled and leaned into him, hugging him tightly.

"I know, you are just trying to protect me. I wish I didn't need it but, I have to face the facts that I AM incredibly danger-prone, and I DO need this little ring of safety." I said, clutching his shirt. Grimsley loosely wrapped his arms around me and hugged me gently, patting my back softly.

"I will admit though that you do need your space if you want to have any room to grow. We're still here for you if you need us you know." He told me, pushing me away and smiling. I smiled back and leaned back in my seat as the waitress returned with our food. I tried to find Keldeo to give it one of the sandwiches I ordered, but as the water horse was nowhere to be found, Grimsley took it instead.

So this wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My Master wasn't angry at me in the slightest about running away. Just like Shauntal and Keldeo promised me, everything WAS okay. No sooner had we bit into our food, Grimsley and I were laughing and having fun like nothing happened.

And as far as we were concerned, nothing did.

* * *

TBC

DUDES DUDES DUDES! I HATCHED A FEMALE SHINY DRATINI IN WHITE 2!

I started hunting for a female one since the one in White Tree Hollow can only be male, and Shiny Dragonair is too pretty to be a guy XD. I'm so happy ;3;

Aww, Grimsley and Vixy made up. We'll have more familial fluff in the next chapter. Not just between Vixen and Grimsley but with her and the rest of the Elite 4. Now that we got all the angst and whatnot out of the way, it's time to have some fun!

On a side note, yes, I am trying to get my review count up. No, that does not give you permission to spam them. If you aren't going to say anything about the story, then don't bother posting a review. A chain of the word "spam" over and over is not helpful in the slightest. Don't do it.

Next chapter~


	57. Chapter 56: Settling the Score

I had recalled most of my pokemon and was still enjoying my lunch when I noticed something odd. Grimsley had stopped talking to me and got really really quiet. I looked at him nervously, trying to decipher his sudden change in attitude to no avail. He glared in my direction, though not directly at me, and I could tell he was on edge. With a blink, I turned my head to see what he was looking at, figuring that I could discern what was making him so mad. My heart sank when I caught sight of the source of his anger, strutting towards us with pride in every step.

"Hello, itty bitty Vixy." Cory said as he walked to the table, a large, dark blue pokemon behind him. Cory seemed to pay no mind to my angry teacher, but the pokemon behind him was fully aware of Grimsley.

"Sam." It said softly, putting a paw on Cory's shoulder. He ignored it and pulled out a chair, sitting next to me and looking at me with a cocky grin. Grimsley leaned forward and pulled my chair closer to him, away from Cory, and I gulped.

"Uh, hi. You MIGHT want to cut the attitude a bit." I warned, sensing the danger to him. I looked down to see Grimsley's hand clutching the armrest of his chair so tightly, his knuckles turned white. He was clearly struggling to keep his temper in check, but Cory's obliviousness wasn't making it easy.

"Relax, I'm not here to hassle you. Just enjoying a little vacation." He said, grabbing my half-eaten Pecha Berry sandwich and biting into it. Grimsley growled low in his throat, and I blinked rapidly at Cory. Either he was too dumb to live, suicidal, or had some misguided notion that I could protect him from an angry member of the Elite 4. Whatever it was, I sighed and tried to think of a way to make that last statement true.

"I'm just saying, you're kinda going backwards in your maturity. You were much more tolerable in Driftveil and Route 6 when you protected me from that gaggle of idiot trainers. And rescued me from Team Plasma." I said, raising my voice a bit for emphasis. Grimsley was unimpressed, and he straightened himself a bit to cast an air of pride.

"Only because I wasn't the one responsible. If anyone is going to destroy you, it's going to be me." He said haughtily. That did it. Grimsley leapt out of his chair and was in between me and Cory in an instant, leering down at the now-frightened trainer. His pokemon behind him gulped and grabbed its arms, drawing out two small swords to protect him. Bisharp appeared then, crossing her own blades with the other pokemon. I watched in stunned silence as once again, my master was silently broadcasting his role as one of the Elite 4.

"Over my. Dead. Body." He said dangerously at Cory, making him shrink. Cory was too afraid to speak while he shrank into his seat, and Grimsley leaned down with a mighty glare. If looks could kill, Cory would have been dead and disintegrated in an instant from my Master's silent fury.

"I know full well what you did in Castelia and the part you played in the kidnapping of Vixen's pokemon. You live now ONLY because she has asked me not to hurt you. You may be bigger than she is, but she is far stronger than you will ever be, and if you have an ounce of intelligence, you WILL respect her for it. I am Grimsley, Master of the Darkness in the Elite 4, and she is my Apprentice. Even without my guidance, she would be a fantastic trainer, but with it, she will be one of the best." He suddenly lashed out and grabbed the collar of Cory's shirt, bringing his face inches within his deadly stare.

"If I EVER hear one word about you hurting Vixen again, even the faintest whisper, you WILL regret it. Do I make myself clear?" He asked. Cory nodded weakly, trying very hard not to whimper while he sweated profusely. I gulped and stood up, leaning over and resting my head and hands on Grimsley's back. Grimsley let go of Cory's shirt and allowed him to fall back in his seat, and he stood up straighter, visibly relaxing and turning to me with a smile.

"I'll meet you back at the Villa?" I asked, taking off Grimsley's jacket and handing it back to him. His smile grew warmer as he took the jacket, putting it back on and straightening it out.

"Very well. Enjoy yourself Vixen, and be careful. Shauntal's Chandelure is as crazy as she is." He said, walking away. Bisharp released Cory's pokemon from their deadlock and looked at me with an equally warm smile, walking over to give me a soft pat on the head before following gracefully after her trainer. I sat back down and Cory and I enjoyed an awkward silence, unsure of how to carry on from Grimsley's stunt.

"Grimsley was pretty creepy on TV during the highlights of the Elite 4 Challenge, but he's even scarier in person. How in Arceus' name did you wind up HIS apprentice?" Cory asked, blinking slowly at me. I chuckled sheepishly and scratched the back of my head.

"Alder did it. After our battle, he gave me Sorrel, and then he apparently pulled some strings to make it so that the Gym Leaders know I'm coming, Grimsley was my teacher, and the rest of the Elite 4 checking in on me every now and then." I said, still chuckling. Cory smirked and shook his head slowly, leaning back in his chair.

"You just get weirder and weirder every time we meet." He said, laughing softly. I smiled and looked in the direction my Master had left, and the corner of my mouth twitched.

"So, what made you decide to start snapping at me in clear view of Grimsley? Did you seriously not see him towering over me or what?" I asked, tilting my head. Cory's face flushed in embarrassment and he hung his head.

"Well I didn't think he'd get so bent out of shape, especially in public. I was kind of counting on his breeding to protect me from his wrath. You told on me about the Castelia fiasco?" He asked, glaring at me. I smirked and crossed my arms, leaning back in my chair.

"All the good breeding in the world won't quell the anger of a protective parent, especially not someone who is considered a vampire in a lot of bad fanfics. Grimsley sees himself more as my father than as my teacher, so he really doesn't like it when someone or something attacks me. He even took on a pissed off Heatran in my defense, and then put himself between me and a QUEEN Heatran." I said, leaning forward and grinning.

"And how else was I going to explain Yapper's presence? His pokemon got stolen too, and Yapper led us right to them. Grimsley kinda forced the truth out of me, and you are very lucky that he was more focused on getting them back. If you thought he was angry now, you should have seen him back then, it was brief, but he had a look of pure, unfiltered fury on his face when I told him what happened." I said, making Cory shudder. He turned to stare at me with frightened, though respectful eyes, and we sat in silence once more. This was a more comfortable silence, for we were quietly sizing each other up.

I could see it in his eyes that Cory could see me for what I was for the first time. I was the child and future member of the Elite 4. A trainer whose skills and prowess were beginning to garner recognition from the most powerful forces in the region without any more than just following the same basic path of everyone else. Unlike Cory, I wasn't given everything handed to me on a silver platter. I worked hard to hone my skills without seeking fame, and because of that I earned my place in Unova's heart. I was no longer the Runt of Aspertia who would never amount to anything. I was no longer a twerp who got really lucky to be born and go on a journey. I was a person of great skill and honor. I was someone to be respected and appreciated.

I truly was Cory's rival.

Cory's face broke into a grin, and he reached inside of his bag, pulling out his Shinx Lantern and holding it in a higher regard than he had before. He held it out to me, tail facing me, and looked at me with a determined grin. I returned the look as I pulled out my own half of the lantern, and we connected the tails. The two Shinx shined brightly between us, their plastic faces echoing our mutual respect for each other. Cory's pokemon smiled warmly at me and sat down, putting its swords away and watching us proudly.

After a few minutes, our arms got tired, and Cory and I put our lanterns away. I leaned back in my chair again and relaxed, smiling at the blue pokemon behind Cory. I casually pulled out my pokedex from my bag and held it up to scan the strange pokemon.

"_Samurott, the Formidable Pokemon, and the final evolution of Oshawott. Samurott's body is protected by a strong armor, and can defeat most opponents with one swipe of one of its Seamitars._" It said. I instantly recognized Wotter's gentle gaze, and felt incredibly happy to see him. I grabbed one of the spare sandwiches off the table and held it out to him, which he took gratefully.

"Wow, Wotter got big. He's still very sweet though." I said with a giggle. Cory rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

"I noticed Lola got bigger too. And grew a second head." He noted. I chuckled and started petting the mentioned dragon, and she crooned under my touch.

"She got stronger too. Wanna see?" I asked, tilting a brow. Cory snorted and looked down at his pokeballs, looking up at me with a smirk.

"Only if you do me a favor first." He asked. I tilted my head as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head.

"What do you need?" I asked. I stood up as well and set some money down on the table to pay for the food. Cory started walking away, prompting me, Wotter and Lola to follow, and I saw a Pokemon Center in the distance.

"I wanna evolve Crasher, but I need to trade to do it. We just need to do a tradeback." He said, stopping me in my tracks.

"A tradeback? Like, I'll take Crasher for a second, and then give him back to you and I get my pokemon back, right?" I asked, eying him suspiciously. Cory nodded before he opened the door to the Pokemon Center, marching through it. Wotter sighed and sauntered up in front of me, holding the door open for me and Lola like the gentleman he was.

"In a nutshell. Don't worry, I don't want any of YOUR pansy pokemon. I just want to make mine stronger." He said, walking up to a table with a tube and computer system.

"Careful Cory, them's fighting words." I said haughtily. Cory snorted and set a pokeball down in the tray under one of the tubes.

"Just shut up and put a pokeball down." He said. I stared at the empty tray on the other side of the machine with apprehension. I wasn't sure about this one little bit. I mean, I was glad that Cory could pull his head out of his ass to ask me for help, but asking me to give up one of my pokemon? Even if he was a man of his word and gave them right back, how could someone ask me to do this? To choose one of my brothers or sisters to give up even for a little while? Trading was said to make pokemon wary of the recipient, even if it WAS a tradeback and they went back to their original owners. Could any of my pokemon forgive me if I put them through that?

'_We would._' Said Lo softly.

'_Send us, nothing will tear us apart Vixen. Not even a machine. Use us to help Cory, we'll be okay._' La added, crooning and rubbing her face on my back. I smiled and turned around, looking at the complacent, two-headed dragon. Both heads smiled warmly and nodded, and I decided to trust them. I held up their pokeball and recalled them, placing the ball on the tray when they were pulled in. With an impatient sigh and the word "finally" muttered under his breath, Cory pushed a button on the machine and then pressed another on the tube over Crasher. The button on the tube over Lola flashed, asking for confirmation, and with a shaky hand I pushed it.

The machine whirred and whizzed, and our pokeballs were launched into the tube of the machine in a flash of light. I watched the screen nervously as silhouettes of Lola and Crasher inched across it. With another crank of the machine, mine and Cory's pokeballs dropped back down. Surprisingly, my multicolored pokeball dropped down on my side, and it burst open the minute it did. Crasher appeared in a brief flash of light, walking away quickly as he got covered in another one. He grew bigger and more jagged, and his back leg split into two. His growth seemed out of control before the glow finally faded, and with a roar, Crasher completed his evolution. He turned around and regarded me with a fierce gaze while I pulled out my pokedex to scan him.

"_Gigalith, the Compressed pokemon, and the final evolution of Roggenrola. Gigalith absorbs light through the crystals all over its body, processing the energy in it's core and releasing it to attack._" It said. Crasher smirked and lumbered over to me, and I gulped when he leaned down. He glared fiercely at me, but his smirk returned and a large, rocky tongue flopped out of his mouth. Crasher crooned and licked my face roughly with his leathery tongue, standing up straighter in waiting.

"Uh, you're welcome? Return Crasher." I said, holding out Lola's pokeball. He retreated into the ball without a fuss, and I quickly put the ball back into the tray, turning on the computer and pushing the button on my tube.

"Okay, can I have Lola back please?" I asked Cory nervously. Cory smirked and pressed the button on his own tube, having never touched his pokeball with Lola inside.

"Just be patient, you can have your two-headed mongrel back when it's done." He said when the balls were launched into the machine. I watched in anxiousness as Lola and Crasher crawled across the screen, but I calmed down before I got too riled up. I was confused, and turned to see Shauntal's Chandelure was still following me, her flames bigger than before. She noticed me looking at her, giving me a soft smile and allowing her flames to die down.

"D-did you just eat my soul again?" I asked with a yawn. Chandelure moaned softly at me, but made no other moves. She floated gracefully behind me, and I sighed in exasperation. I did feel less nervous, but only because I was feeling a little tired.

"Thanks, I guess…" I said awkwardly, turning back to the machine as my pokeball dropped back down. It burst open again, and Lola leapt onto the floor beside me, her two heads grinning joyfully at me.

'_See? We're okay!_' Lo yipped, butting my stomach.

'_No harm no foul. Now let's go cuddle._' La chirped. Lo growled and turned to face the other head with her teeth bared.

'_We can cuddle later. I wanna go swimming again!_' Lo snapped.

'_We're gonna be here for awhile, we can swim later. I wanna cuddle Vixen._' La snapped back. The two heads proceeded to get into another long-winded argument, and I didn't have a clue on how to separate them.

"We're not supposed to swim until an hour after we eat anyway Lo." I said, trying to quell the fight.

'_That's a myth, I feel perfectly fine. Now stay out of this! This is between me and miss goody-goody here._' Lo snarled.

'_Hey, you can't talk to Vixen like that!_' La said with a growl.

'_I can and I did, what are YOU gonna do about it, cuddle-Buneary?_' Lo asked with a mischievous grin.

'_Cuddle-Buneary? Oh it's on!_' La snarled.

'_Bring it, fluffbutt!_' Lo challenged. The two heads started to roar and snap at each other, biting each other savagely. I backed up to stand next to Cory and we stared in shock while the two heads fought. A crowd gathered around us to watch the spectacle, and I started to shrink down in embarrassment.

"We're getting an audience Vixen, make them stop. I need time to sell tickets." Cory whispered. I rolled my eyes and shoved him, looking at my pokemon helplessly.

"Last time I got involved in one of their fights, I ended it by throwing myself into boiling water. YOU do something about it, because even my mental pleas won't stop them." I whispered back. Cory rolled his eyes and stared at the two fighting dragons. We were helpless to stop them when a cold wind blew towards us, making my pokemon shiver. Lola stopped arguing from the shock of the sudden cold, and she hunkered down to try to keep warm. A soft voice sang through the pokemon center, it's owner gently floating past the crowd. After checking to make sure Lola was calm, the pokemon turned and greeted Chandelure. I held my pokedex up again to scan the pokemon who smiled sweetly at me.

"_Frosslass, the Snow Land pokemon, and an evolved form of Snorunt. Froslass' breath can reach -58 degrees fahrenheit, able to freeze prey which it then displays in its den._" It said. I gulped at the pokemon, perturbed by the entry, when Shauntal appeared from the crowd. I instantly relaxed at seeing her, realizing that Froslass was her pokemon.

"Thank you, she was giving me a headache." I said. Shauntal smiled absently at me as her two pokemon rejoined her. She confidently strode past me and Cory, ignoring the stares she got, and knelt down in front of Lola, softly stroking the two heads. Lola sighed and laid her heads down, fully relaxed.

"So, you wanna compare notes? I didn't mention this earlier, but I met the queen of the Heatran colony in Reversal Mountain, and she told me the story of how it came to be. I don't see anything that could help us in it, but maybe you can. It's a pretty story either way." I said. Shauntal's head snapped up and she looked at me with an excited, toothy grin.

"I would LOVE to hear what you found out! Come on let's go find a place I can put my laptop on and take notes." She said, bounding up and running past me and Cory. Cory and I blinked at her enthusiasm, but I recovered first.

"Come on Lola, let's go tell her Heatran's story." I commanded. Lola pulled her feet under her and followed me loyally while I chased Shauntal, and it was all Cory could do to keep up with us while her pokemon flanked us.

This was going to be a LONG conversation.

* * *

TBC

Okay so not as much fluff there, but I'm still pleased with this chapter. I think Cory just about shit his pants when Grimsley started leering at him. I would too if I was on the receiving end of Grimsley's fury. Papa Wolf indeed.

I decided to cut it there since this was getting a bit long. I'll continue the stuff in the next chapter, and we may get a battle or two in. I haven't decided if I want to keep the Undella rival battle or not yet. I'm thinking I might but we'll see where the story goes.

By the way, I have nothing against the fanfics who DO portray Grimsley as a Vampire *considering he was explicitly created with Vampires in mind*, or otherwise psychotic. I'm disturbed yet fascinated by Darkest Night and the follow up Even Darker Obsessions, which are NOT for the faint of heart or Grimsley's diehard fans. As one of his more appreciative and slightly sensitive fans, I personally prefer my gentle guardian over the sociopathic monster that other fanfics make him out to be. That's not to say the authors of those fics are lesser fans by any means, it just means they have a stronger stomach and a more intact psyche than I do XD

Next chapter.


	58. Chapter 57: Studying a Story

Shauntal, Cory and I huddled together in a secluded corner of the pokemon center, ignoring the stares while I told the Ghost-Type Master the story that the Queen told me. She typed furiously on her laptop while I recounted the tale, and I knew she was getting every word of it.

"Wow, so Reversal Mountain really is where it all began for Unova." She said after I finished, never turning up from her screen.

"Yep. I don't see how that helps us though." I said, crossing my arms and frowning.

"Only because you are being very nearsighted." She said, looking up and waving the crowd away.

"Go away now, shoo. This is private, between me and them." She piped at the crowd. The trainers groaned collectively, but obeyed her command and dispersed. When I felt we were alone enough, I reached out and pet Lola's down, still frowning at Shauntal.

"How am I being nearsighted? That legend doesn't tell us anything except how badass the Original Dragon was." I said. Shauntal smiled at me with her mouth slightly open, and I resisted the urge to shudder under her gaze. Cory didn't have the skill to though, and crept away from her, slightly hiding himself behind Wotter.

"You're right. That is EXACTLY what the legend tells us." She said. I tilted my head and puffed out my cheeks, blinking at her.

"Come again?" I asked.

"The Original Dragon was VERY strong. So very strong. It took out an entire army AND created a stable mountain region that can sustain many branches of life." She said, leaning back to read over her notes. Chandelure and Froslass floated closer to her, offering her their aid, but she dismissed the two ghosts and allowed her eyes to flick up at me for a brief moment.

"So, what does it have to do with our current situation?" I asked, tilting my head.

"With 1 dragon, the brothers built Unova. With 2, they destroyed it. Whomever controls all three shall rule Unova. Reshiram and Zekrom will never abandon their chosen heroes, but Kyurem…Kyurem is the wrench jamming the gears. It never played a part in the story except when it was whole. The story may be coming full circle." She said, resuming her writing.

"Team Plasma might be trying to recombine the dragons? But how? Even if there WAS a way to recombine the dragons, Team Plasma would need all 4 parts right?" I asked, making Shauntal and Cory look at me oddly.

"4? Oh yeah, the thing Reshiram told you about. That is a tricky one. The question is, does Team Plasma know about it?" Shauntal said, mumbling to herself. Cory and I watched in fascination as her eyes darted all over the place, searching the deepest, darkest corners of her mind for the answers she wanted. She pushed her laptop aside and whipped out a notebook and a pen, scratching something on the pages.

"Hmm….this is flawed." She muttered, tearing out the page and throwing it up. Chandelure reached out with one of her arms, incinerating the balled up wad of failed ideas. Shauntal continued to mutter to herself and writing stuff down in her notebook, occasionally tearing out a page and tossing it to Chandelure.

"Uh…" Cory said, trying to get her attention. Shauntal paid no mind though as she tossed her notebook back inside her bag. She retrieved her laptop and began typing furiously on it. As fast as her frenzy began, she suddenly stopped, her eyes darting on the screen while she took in the information.

"AHA!" She shouted suddenly, scaring me, Cory and our pokemon.

"What?" I asked casually, though I was still pretty confused.

"There is a very good chance that Team Plasma DOES know about the 4th body that came from the Original Dragon. I found a few webpages talking about it, with most of them pointing to the Lacunosa and Opelucid gyms." She said, turning her laptop around. I glanced at a webpage that held minor, though crucial details about the legend of the Dragons.

"Great, so we should go pay them a visit." I said, smiling. Shauntal frowned and shook her head, turning her laptop back around and typing on it once more.

"Not quite. Whoever is writing this new, unpredictable plot is not making it easy for us. Unfortunately, there is a Dragon Convention in Anville Town. The Lacunosa and Opelucid gyms are closed because they are Dragon-Type gyms, and the champion specializes in Dragon pokemon, which is why the Elite 4 Challenge is suspended." She said, still typing.

"Can't we just call them and have them make an emergency trip back here?" I asked, frustrated. Shauntal shook her head while she continued to type.

"I'm sending them an email to do just that, but it will take a few days. Flying is prohibited in Anville Town, and there is literally only one way out. Ironically, it's via train." She said, smiling briefly.

"So we're better off enjoying our vacation anyway?" I asked, blinking at her.

"All good plots need a break in the story. Too much excitement is actually quite boring. The audience will identify with the story better if there is some downtime between catastrophes." She said, typing furiously once again. Cory glared hard at her, silently willing her to explain herself, but Shauntal just continued to type away.

"In other words, yes, we might as well enjoy ourselves Cory." I translated. Cory snorted and stood up, affectionately slapping Wotter's shoulder.

"I don't know why she didn't just say that. Anyway, I'm outta here. I'm gonna go train Crasher a bit. Meet me at the beach in a few hours if you still want that battle, twerp." He said, walking away. Wotter and I rolled our eyes before we bade each other goodbye, the sword-wielder pursuing his trainer loyally.

'_Cory and Wotter have a really weird relationship._' Lo said, humming.

'_Indeed. They're so, opposite, yet they aren't. A nice blend of sweet and sour if you ask me._' La agreed with a nod.

"So what, you guys are connoisseurs now?" I asked, tilting my head. Both heads snorted indignantly in response.

'_No, I'm just saying. We would love nothing more than to rip out Cory's innards and feed'em to the Mandibuzz._' Lo began. I briefly pictured the grisly scene and shuddered, trying to get it out of my head when La crooned.

'_Wotter is such a sweetheart though. He just wants everyone to get along. He told us he's trying to help Cory be nicer, but Cory doesn't seem to care to listen. Shame really, a good pokemon like that being ignored._' La told me.

"Well, he's not TOTALLY ignored. Wotter was a sweetheart to begin with, since he smiled at me and stuff when I first met him. All of Cory's other pokemon seem to be really nice too. I would love to hug Yapper again sometime." I said with a giggle. Lola grinned with both heads at me and each gave a chuckle of their own.

'_Don't tell Zachary that._' Said Lo.

'_As far as he's concerned, you're HIS human. He's just sharing you with the rest of us._' Finished La with a teasing tone. I giggled more and leaned in to hug the two dragon heads, looking up to see Shauntal still typing on her laptop.

"So what do you think about Cory? Lola wants to maim him, Master loathes him, and even his own pokemon seem to think he needs an attitude adjustment." I asked her. Shauntal ignored me and continued typing. I opened my mouth to repeat the question when she suddenly piped up.

"Too early to tell for me. I've heard the stories, but a good Author must do ALL of their research about their subject before they include them in the plot. I don't approve of his role thus far, but only time will tell for me before I make a final decision. What do YOU think about him?" She asked, looking up at me. I stared at her incredulously at what I thought she was implying, and felt a bit of heat rush to my cheeks.

"Dirty old woman, I can do MUCH better than my childhood bully." I said, leering at her. Shauntal's expression never changed, but I swear I could hear the gears turning in her head as she weighed the decision of whether or not to laugh at me.

"I completely agree, but some of the best stories ever written have unexpected endings, ESPECIALLY in the romance department. That's not what I asked anyway, though I can see why you'd think that. Tell me what you think of him as a person." She asked, closing her laptop. I leaned onto Lola until I was sitting on her, petting the down between her necks. What DID I think of Cory as a person?

For as long as I could remember, most, if not all, of the worst memories I have of my childhood seem to involve him. From pushing me over in preschool to pulling me off swings and slides, breaking my arm in the process, Cory always seemed to have it in for me. I had virtually no friends in Aspertia aside from my mom and the Afternoon Shift guard, and of course her Arcanine twins. That was because he managed to make every kid dislike me in some way, or otherwise avoid me, mostly through lies. He even tried to pull the same stunt when Cheren came to Aspertia and took over as our teacher for our last year of schooling. I was lucky that the Gym Leader was smarter than that, but it still hurt. Even when we left for our journeys, Cory had tried to stop me from being able to compete with him. If I hadn't met Lola, he would have succeeded.

And yet, I don't resent him. When he physically bullied me, I learned about the pain human hands could cause, and vowed not to turn to violence to solve my problems. When he made the citizens turn against me, I turned to the pokemon who would help me when the time came. When he swiped all the starters, I found my best friend. If he hadn't thrown me into Team Plasma, I wouldn't have learned about my Master's pokemon getting stolen, and he might not have ever found them, or worse.

Whether he meant to or not, Cory's ill-will to me actually helped me. I can't deny it, but at the same time, I find it hard to forgive him for it. Mainly because he STILL hasn't totally outgrown it, and at this point I doubt he ever will.

"Cory has a long way to go, but he's grown enough for me to see him as a rival and not an obstacle. He's finally recognized me as such too. For now, that's how we always will be. I don't see myself falling head over heels for him anytime soon, but who knows what the future holds?" I said. Shauntal smiled and raised her hand up, putting it on my shoulder and squeezing.

"Good answer. Now then, help me through this Writer's Block. I've got a girl trapped in a cave, and I have no idea how to get her out without being unrealistic." She said, opening her laptop again and frowning at the screen.

"Is it a cave that one of the Musketeers live in?" I asked, getting up from Lola's back and moving to sit next to the frustrated writer.

"I want to save her, not kill her." She snapped, glaring at the screen.

"You don't have to. If she has a loyal pokemon with her that'll vouch for her, the Musketeer will grudgingly dig her out. That's how we got out of a cave-in. Team Plasma blew up the ceiling of the Mistralton Cave to try kill me and Cory. Then we met Cobalion, and after butting heads with Lola it decided to spare me and Cory and clear the rubble." I told her. Shauntal froze while she considered the idea in her head, a huge smile creeping across her face.

"Yes…an interesting plot twist indeed. Life is stranger than fiction, therefore that is not so unbelievable. I will make this work!" She declared, typing furiously on the keys.

And so Shauntal and I spent time in the pokemon center, working on her newest novel. It was very calming after all the crap I went through today, and if I didn't know any better, I would say that was Shauntal's intention. Regardless, even though I had my mission in the back of my mind.

I'm glad for this chance to relax.

* * *

TBC

...How does Totally turn into Toady? Damn AutoCorrect, making fun of my lack of brain-power at 2 AM -_-.

I'll give a cookie to anyone who can figure out why Shauntal said that the Gym Leaders return trip by train was ironic.

Two new trolls? Awesome. Or it could just be the old one hiding behind anonymity. Oh well. Keep it civil you two. I like the lulz, so I don't want to have to delete those reviews ;3

I just got Gates to Infinity a few days ago and beat it. I was so absorbed I couldn't think of anything else, so, sorry XD. I restarted it but I'll get back to work here.

Next chapter soon, I promise :3


	59. Chapter 58: A Watery Beatdown

After spending time with Shauntal, I had decided to return to the beach with Lola. I laid in the sand, resting my head against Lola, and watched the waves crashing on the shore. Occasionally, the water lapped at my bare feet, and I groaned in relaxation as I dug my back into the sand, allowing the mini-dunes to gently push against me and massage me somewhat through my bathing suit. I was almost asleep when I felt a wave of sand wash over me. I snapped up and started coughing, trying to shake the sand loose from my eyes and nose.

"Zweilous!"

"Samurott!" Lola and another pokemon cried. I was suddenly blasted with a torrent of water on my face, and only Lola bracing me kept me from falling back. When the water stopped, I opened my eyes and gasped for air, looking around wildly. The first thing I saw was Wotter leaning down in front of me with worried eyes. Beside him, Cory watched me with wide eyes, and I heard Lola growling. I turned to look at her behind me, and both heads were baring their fangs at Cory.

"Oh god I'm sorry! I didn't think it'd get all over you like that! I swear, I only meant to get it on your stomach and chest!" Cory yelped, looking around wildly as though he feared my Master would pop out at any moment to deliver retribution. I glared at Cory and started wiggling to stand up. Wotter held out a paw to me, and I took it gratefully, allowing the gentle swordsman to pull me up.

"Yes well, for someone who takes great joy in pointing out my small size, I'm surprised you forgot to account for it. So is this the part where my pokemon and I beat your sorry butt into the water? Because now I have a reason to let loose on you." I said, cracking my knuckles. Cory gave me a cocky grin as he took off his shirt, stuffing it into his backpack and tossing it beside mine. He ran across the beach, stopping and turning around when he was a good distance away, and raised a pokeball.

"We'll see who goes for a dip! 3 on 3 itty bitty Vixy! Come on out Thorn!" He cried when he tossed the ball. Thorn appeared with a snort, digging his feet in the sand, and I grinned. After assuring Wotter that I was okay, the dark blue sea lion waddled to Cory's side of the field, standing tall beside him while I pulled out a pokeball of my own.

"You got it! Sarah, let's go!" I cried while my Salamence emerged from the ball. She roared at the sight of Cory's Scolipede and dug her feet in the sand. She was ready to give him some payback for her humiliating defeat at the Pokemon World Tournament.

"Poison Tail!" Cory cried. Thorn snarled and started running through the sand towards my dragon, but she wasn't going to go down so easily this time. Without needing my command, Sarah effortlessly flapped her wings and easily dodged out of the way of Thorn's Poison Tail, making Cory angry.

"Hey that's not fair! Thorn can't fly!" He cried. I grinned and clenched my fist, and I could tell Sarah was equally pleased.

"Too bad, now let's take a look at her new toys." I said as Lola handed me my pokedex. I looked up Sarah's new moves and grinned, plotting their usage.

"Let's start with Dragonbreath!" I called. Sarah lifted her head back, throwing it forward and blasting a stream of pink fire at Cory's pokemon.

"Agility!" Cory cried. Thorn quickly ran out of the way of Sarah's attack, but I was prepared for this.

"Alright, now use Shadow Claw!" I commanded to Cory's shock. Sarah's forelimbs turned black while a purple glow enveloped them, and she dove after Thorn. The black and purple receded from her forelimbs and formed long, nasty-looking blades on her claws that she slashed at Thorn with, tripping him up and knocking him into the sand.

"Follow up with Thunder Fang!" I cried. Sarah opened her mouth wide and two huge bolts of lightning emerged from her fangs. She bit down on Thorn, making him screech in pain.

"Thorn! Flatten that dragon with Steamroller!" Cory commanded. Thorn collapsed in the sand and straightened himself out, rolling backwards onto Sarah. The attack caught her by surprise, and she hurried to unlock her teeth from Thorn's armor, but it was too late. She squawked as Thorn rolled over her again and again, and by the time she was done she was a flat, twitching mass of limbs on the ground, her upper lip twitching.

"Sarah! Are you okay!? Speak to me Sarah!" I cried. Sarah groaned in response, and she slowly but surely came back to life. She rolled back onto the battlefield and shook herself off, flapping her wings and snorting.

"Mence!" She chirped. She was visibly tired, but I knew she didn't want to give up just yet. I grinned and clenched my fist.

"Then let'er rip! Dragonbreath!" I commanded. Sarah snarled and launched her attack at Thorn, and Cory gritted his teeth.

"Venoshock!" He cried. Pink fire met purple lightning in a brilliant clash. Their power was being fed by the determination of both trainer and pokemon, and I knew we would win this one. If not because of my determination to beat Cory, than because of Sarah's outright refusal to lose to Thorn again. Dragonbreath slowly but surely overtook Venoshock, and before Cory could notice and counterattack, it completely engulfed Thorn. The Scolipede screamed in pain while Sarah's attack did it's job. When Sarah ran out of breath to power her attack, she stopped and began to pant hard, glaring at the smoking Scolipede. Thorn did nothing as he stood there, and I thought I was going to have to call out another attack.

To mine and Sarah's relief though, Thorn collapsed where he stood and groaned. Sarah reared up and spun around in circles, turning back to me and charging towards me. Sarah crooned and warbled while she rubbed her head on my belly, and I giggled while I hugged her head.

"Great work Sarah, I'm so proud of you." I gushed. Sarah continued to make happy sounds while Cory recalled Thorn, apologizing to the magenta bug while he was pulled inside his pokeball. With a final pat on the head, I recalled Sarah back into her pokeball as well and pulled another one out of my bag.

"This isn't over yet itty bitty Vixy! Let's go Stryker!" He called. His Gigalith appeared in front of him, looking fierce. I tilted my head at the pokemon, whose gaze grew even more angry when it looked at me. He had two Gigalith?

"A second Gigalith? You must really like that pokemon. Zachary, let's go!" I commanded. Sorrel appeared in a shower of sparkles, landing in front of me with grace. Looking at the huge pokemon in front of us, Sorrel's eyes widened slightly while a pleased grin slowly made its way across his face.

"Faint Attack!" Cory commanded. I stared in shock as the Gigalith moved at an impossibly fast speed, but Zachary wasn't surprised in the least. He leapt up as Stryker charged towards him, grabbing him by the leg and slamming him down, breaking his illusion. Zachary was prepared for the move though, and fired a Dark Pulse directly into the giant pokemon's face. Stryker sputtered as it moved back, flipping backwards to reveal a normal-colored Zoroark glaring at me and Zachary. My purple-clad Zoroark pulled himself off the ground and dusted himself off, narrowing his eyes at the other Zoroark.

"Is that-?!" I started, making Cory grin.

"Yep. That's the little Zorua you gave me at Chargestone Cave. He's much more powerful than your purple puppy." He said, making his Zoroark sneer. I snorted and crossed my arms while Zachary growled in defiance.

"We'll see about that. Dark Pulse!" I commanded. Zachary opened his mouth wide and fired off twisting ribbons of black and purple energy, hitting Stryker in the chest.

"Foul Play!" Cory yelled. Stryker shook his head to shake off the attack, glaring at Zachary. He charged forward and dove down at Zachary's feet, grabbing his paw and slamming it down with an audible crack. I winced while Zachary went down whining, but Stryker wasn't finished yet. Grabbing Zachary's injured paw, Stryker flipped him over and slammed one of his hind legs into Zachary's crotch, making my purple-clad fox scream in agony.

"Zachary!" I cried, readying my pokeball to save him. Though injured, Zachary wasn't going to let this rude little ball of fur overtake him. He raised his injured paw high, a ball of purple, red and black mist and energy forming within his claws. With a defiant roar, Zachary threw the ball into Stryker, sending the red Zoroark flying. Zachary rolled back onto his belly and stood up shakily. With a whine, he grabbed his injured paw in his mouth and jerked it roughly, popping it back into place with a yelp.

"Atta boy Zachary! Just shake it off sweetheart!" I cried. Zachary turned to me with a defiant grin, turning back to the field while Stryker got up from being thrown, glaring at my pokemon.

"Night Slash!" Cory and I cried simultaneously. Our two Zoroark charged at each other with glowing claws, slashing at each other over and over while trying to dodge the other's blows. The two foxes darted all over the sandy field, occasionally dipping into the water that lapped at the shore.

"Shadow Ball!" I cried. Zachary leapt up and conjured two more balls of spectral energy, flinging them at Stryker.

"Foul Play!" Cory cried. Stryker leapt up and sliced through the Shadow Balls with his claws, but this is exactly what I was planning for. Zachary smirked and grabbed Stryker's claws.

"Now, close-range Dark Pulse!" I cried. Zachary opened his mouth wide and fired off his attack into Stryker's face once more, blowing the red fox away. Stryker howled as he sailed through the air, landing at Cory's feet. He groaned and twitched in the sand in front of his trainer, making Cory sigh. Zachary landed in front of me shakily, turning to smile softly at me.

"Good boy Zachary, you sure put that pup in his place." I said, reaching to scratch his head. Zachary purred in my touch while Cory recalled his Zoroark, glaring at me.

"Not bad twerp, not bad at all. Let's finish this!" He said as Wotter sauntered in front of him, giving me a gentle though determined smile. Without a word on my part, Lola stomped in front of me with a proud grin.

'_Let's do this._' Said Lo with a growl.

'_This is gonna be fun._' La said, echoing Lo's enthusiasm.

"Razor Shell!"

"Dragon Rush!" Cory and I commanded. Wotter and Lola rushed at each other, Seamitars meeting fiery scales, and both pokemon growled.

"Now use Dark Pulse!" I called. Lola pulled away from Wotter with a snarl, opening both mouths to unleash the ribbons of dark energy. Wotter braced himself on his back legs, holding his Seamitars at his sides while he waited for a command.

"Block it with X-Scissor!" Cory yelled. Wotter roared as he crossed his blades in front of him, holding off the two Dark Pulse blasts.

'_Too bad both of us can use Dark Pulse at the same time._' Lo said with a grin.

'_On it._' La said, nodding. She closed her mouth and ducked her head lower, firing another Dark Pulse that evaded Wotter's block, landing right in his stomach. Wotter gagged and uncrossed his swords, having been thrown back by the unexpected blast, and I couldn't help but cheer.

"Way to go you guys! Keep it up! Now use Dragon Pulse!" I commanded. Lola roared in response to my command. Lo stopped attacking while La quickly converted Dark Pulse into Dragon Pulse, firing off the wispy breath weapon at Wotter.

"Get up Wotter! Come on, X-Scissor again!" Cory cried. Wotter picked himself up from the ground and charged at Lola, cutting through Dragon Pulse and raising his attack up to slam it down on Lola. Unfortunately, the two heads were working together, and Lo intercepted with the sphere form of Dragon Pulse, once again blowing him back.

"Dragon Rush!" I commanded.

"Aqua Tail!" Cory countered. A spiraling column of water erupted from the brown fluke of Wotter's tail, and he spun around to slam it onto my fiery dragon, knocking her back.

"Lola!" I cried while she flew back.

"Now use Slash!" Cory yelled. Wotter sheathed one of his Seamitars and held the other one in both paws, the shell blade extending in a brilliant flash of light. He ran towards Lola as fast as his legs could carry him while my dragon struggled to stand. I gritted my teeth as I tried to figure out a way to stop him, and then I remembered where I was.

"Lola, into the water!" I commanded, confusing her for a second.

'_Oh right, we're at the beach._' Lo said, turning her half of the body towards the sea.

'_We got confused. Into the sea it is!_' La agreed, turning with Lo. They leapt into the waves with a splash, dodging Wotter's move, but Cory grinned.

"You think you'll be able to beat a water pokemon in its own territory? That's like trying to fight a fire pokemon in a volcano! Wotter, go after her and use X-Scissor!" Cory said. Wotter grabbed his other Seamitar and leapt into the water after Lola, and I grinned.

"I did it in and ON the volcano. I just needed a place for Lola to stabilize herself better than the slippery sand." I said, closing my eyes.

'_Where is he now?_' I asked the dragons.

'_In front of us, trying to hit us with his crossed swords._' La told me.

'_What do we do now?_' Lo asked. I could feel them both pressing me for a direction to resurface for air.

'_Use Dark Pulse on the seabed to blast yourself up._' I told them. Cory and I watched as the water bubbled, and Lola came flying out of the water on a fountain of Dark Pulse, her small wings flapping to balance herself. Wotter came out in front of them, balancing on his Aqua Tail like a Dewgong. It would have been adorable if I weren't trying to beat him.

"X-Scissor again!"

"Use Crunch!" Cory and I called. Wotter bounced on his Aqua Tail to fly towards the descending Lola, but this time she let him get close, grabbing one of his Seamitars and wrenching it from his grip. La tossed the blade onto the beach while Lo went in to bite Wotter's muzzle, but he wedged his other sword into her mouth, locking her jaws. He grabbed Lo's neck with one paw, slugging her with the other and making her whimper. La retaliated with her own Crunch, which couldn't be blocked as Wotter lost his other sword.

"Finish it with Dragon Rush!" I cried. Lola flapped her wings hard as she drove her claws into Wotter's chest, and they soared over the water in a brilliant flash of blue light, slamming into the beach and blowing up a cloud of sand. I closed my eyes to protect it from the accidental sandstorm, and when it subsided I saw Lola and Wotter standing in front of each other. Wotter leaned on his reclaimed sword, panting heavily while Lola braced herself with her wings, Lo still tightly clamped onto Wotter's other Seamitar.

'_I can't keep going._' Lo said quietly.

'_Me neither. We're sorry Vixen._' La echoed. Wotter gave me a soft smile as both pokemon collapsed on the beach. A roar of applause erupted around us, and I turned to see a crowd had gathered around us, Cynthia and the Unova Elite 4 scattered through it and watching me with pride. I grew shy and sheepishly laughed, inching away from the crowd towards my injured dragon. When Lola whimpered, I forgot my bashfulness to kneel by her side, petting the down between her necks softly.

"You did great you guys." I whispered, hugging the wet heads. Lola groaned, and I carefully pulled Wotter's Seamitar out of Lo's mouth.

'_Thanks. That wasn't very tasty._' Lo said in the most deadpan tone I ever heard her use. I snickered and turned to see Cory carefully helping Wotter up. Not wanting to be outdone, Lola strained to pull her feet underneath her, lifting her heavy body up above the sand with a groan. After making sure she was alright, we walked over to where Cory and Wotter stood, and I held out the Seamitar I pulled from Lola's mouth to Wotter. He smiled warmly at me and took the blade from my hand, putting it away in his shoulder sheath.

"So, I won the first two battles and we tied in the last. I gotta give you a lot of credit though, Wotter was able to keep up with Lola this time. But just wait until she's a Hydreigon, you'll never stop her when that happens." I said, grinning at Cory. He smirked at me and snorted, turning away.

"We'll see about that. And as for the terms of our battle, there's been a change." He said. I tilted my head in confusion at him, but he didn't keep me waiting for long before he pushed me into the water. An Aqua Tail from Wotter threw me further into the sea, giving me a somewhat softer landing, and I heard Cory cackling even from underwater.

"You'll pay for that!" I said when I surfaced. My other pokeballs opened up and everyone joined us as Lola barreled into Cory, shoving him into the water with me.

The crowd dispersed, leaving only my master and our friends to watch in amusement as I played with my pokemon and Wotter. Cory preferred to sulk a little ways away with his Zoroark while we enjoyed ourselves, but I knew that with my Master watching, I was safe from any relapses in Cory's personality. For the rest of the day, we swam and splashed in the sea, barely paying attention to the setting sun.

Or my growing sleepiness.

* * *

TBC

WOOOHOOO! We hit 100 reviews! Thank you, all of you, for your kind words *and lulz from the few*

This was kind of an awkward chapter to write. I mainly wanted to show off Sarah's new arsenal, Wotter's growth, and the fact that Cory got that ungrateful little bastard of a Zorua that Vixen gave him to evolve XD. I may start getting us ready to leave Undella soon. In fact, I've already started planning some stuff for the story. The feels man, there will be many feels.

Next chappy.


	60. Chapter 59: The Warning

After a fun play session with mine and Cory's pokemon, my master strode up to the edge of the shore, inches away from where the water reached, and called me in. As much as I hated to go, it was getting dark, and I was getting sleepy. With a wave goodbye to Wotter and his sulking partners, I swam back to the shore and met with Grimsley.

"Enjoying yourself with your frienemies?" He asked, tilting his head with a smirk. I grinned at him before leaning down to grab my bag, recalling all of my pokemon except for the tired Lola.

"Yep! Though I wouldn't consider Wotter a frienemy. He was nice to me from the get-go, so as far as I'm concerned he's a true-blue friend. No pun intended." I told him. He chuckled and reached out to run his fingers through my wet hair in an attempt to ruffle it.

"I see, I'm glad you are blind enough to see the differences between a pokemon and its trainer. Shall we go?" He asked charmingly. I grinned and donned my bag, nodding at him while Lola padded up beside me. We walked in silence through the quieting streets, and I couldn't help but feel uneasy about something.

"Crap." I muttered under my breath, drawing Grimsley's attention.

"What's wrong? Did you forget something?" He asked me. Lola whined and lowered her heads, nudging my back comfortingly.

"No, I'm getting that funny feeling again. Like something bad is about to happen. I've found it's usually right." I said. Grimsley hummed and fell in step until he was right beside me, stealthily scanning for any danger.

"Well I don't see anything, but we'll hurry back to the villa anyway. It's important to trust your instincts. Let's go." He said, and we started walking briskly back to the villa. We both looked carefully around us, watching for any threats, and I noticed a big blue gate next to the main gate. I looked closer and saw the words 'Marine Tube' scrawled across a sign beside it.

"What's the Marine Tube?" I asked, stopping to look at it curiously. Grimsley chuckled at my naivety and stopped to look in the direction of the odd gate.

"It's a shortcut from here to Humilau, another, much more watery city than this one. It was built so that the Humilau Gym Leader can come back here and relax. It doesn't look like it's open right now though." He said, tilting his head as a girl came out of the gate, a towel around her shoulders.

"You're correct Grimsley, there was an incident with a very tired Wailord who failed to judge just how close he was to the tube. He rammed it pretty hard and loosened the joints." Said the girl, giving a soft smile to us.

"I see. Do you need any help from the league with repairs, Fina?" Grimsley asked. She grinned and shook her head while a blue fox slunk up behind her.

"Nope, we're good. Things like this are the sole responsibility of the gym leaders, and my Vaporeon's Ice Beam worked like a charm in keeping the tube steady. Repairs should be done in about a week." She said while I pulled out my pokedex to scan her pokemon.

"_Vaporeon, the Bubble Jet pokemon, and an evolved form of Eevee. It's body composition has much more water in it than most other life, allowing it to melt and vanish when attacking and defending._" It said. The fox looked sternly at us, but I could tell it was happy nonetheless.

"Cool pokemon. It looks very healthy." I said, smiling down at it, earning a smile from the pokemon. Fina giggled and reached down to pick up her pokemon, hugging it tightly against her bikini-clad body.

"Thank you, I try very hard to take care of him. I wish I could stay and chat, but we're really tired from working on the tube today. Enjoy your stay in Undella town!" She chirped, putting down Vaporeon before dashing off with him in tow. I blinked after her and crossed my arms, confused about what just happened.

"So, she's a gym leader?" I asked, tilting my head. Grimsley chuckled and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, and a very flighty one. But she means well, and she's very down to earth. Undella town does so well because she's taken very good care of it, and personally oversees the policies here. She's like the mayor here." He explained. I smiled at his description and yawned, leaning back to sit on Lola.

"That's good. Let's go back." I said, rubbing my eye. Grimsley chuckled and helped me back up from my tired dragon, and I turned to see her panting.

'_We're okay._' Lo said defiantly.

'_Let's just keep going._' La added, puffing a bit herself. I frowned and crossed my arms.

"You guys should rest. You've gone through a lot today." I told her. Lola snorted defiantly and started padding away, and I sighed. I uncrossed my arms and grabbed Lola's pokeball, holding it up to recall her. Though she protested, Lola went into the ball without much trouble, and I yawned, reaching up to rub my eye again. Grimsley smiled and patted my back softly.

"Lola isn't the only one who needs rest." He said softly. I smiled and started walking forward, though slowly so that he could catch up quickly. We continued to walk through the quieting streets, still on the lookout for any threats, when the wind blew coldly. I shivered and brought my arms up to my shoulders to warm up when something appeared behind me.

"Vixen, run!" Grimsley yelled, but it was too late. A pair of long, slightly-muscled arms wrapped around my waist and tugged me backwards, and I found myself in a dark alleyway, surrounded by the Shadow Triad. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but one of the ninjas rushed up to me and put a knife to my neck, pressing enough to assure me it was sharp, but light enough to not cut me, yet.

"If you scream, you die. We will not hurt you otherwise." Said the ninja in a effeminate male voice.

"Why? I thought you guys WANTED me dead." I hissed, my throat pressing more against the blade as I spoke.

"We do, but not here. We aren't stupid, we know you have the loyalty of the Heatran and the Elite 4. We won't kill you near them." Said a female voice to the right.

"And for whatever reason, Ghetsis has decided to spare you from immediate death." Said the would-be murderer. I rolled my eyes and reached out to Lola in my mind.

"Lucky me. I'm glad he decided to be so merciful and not kill a kid." I snapped, making my captor squeeze my waist tighter. Lola answered my mental pleas with worry, distress, and fury, but I forced both minds to calm down and wait for my signal. Coming out too soon could result in my untimely death, so I needed to wait until there was an opening.

"Silence, you whelp. The master's generosity comes at a price." Said the female with a low growl. I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes at them, oozing defiance.

"What do you want you monsters?" I growled, earning a more constricting hold on my waist that started to cut off the circulation to my legs.

"We took something very precious of yours. If you want it back in one piece, you will cease your actions to stop Team Plasma. This is between us, and the so-called "Heroes" of Unova." Hissed the man in front of me. I glared harder at him and spit in his face, making him drop the knife and smack my cheek.

"I didn't ask to be in this fight. You horrible things brought me into it when you stole my pokemon in Castelia City and hurt my Master. You kidnapped my Zorua, and me and the Nimbasa Gym Leader. It's a little late to try to keep me out of this when YOU started it in the first place." I snarled, earning another smack.

"Well we're giving you a chance to back out now. If you don't, you won't have a mother to go crying to when you fail horribly." The man snarled back, glaring at me. My heart sank and I felt myself pale at his words, unwilling to believe him.

"What." I uttered low, almost silent.

"That's right, little one. We've taken your mother, and if you just carry on with your journey to get badges, fight the league, and go home, we will return her to you none the worse for wear." Said the woman. I gritted my teeth and started to breathe hard, doing everything I could to not burst into tears.

"Why? It's me you want, she has nothing to do with this. You clearly have me right where you want me right now, why not just end it and go on with your plans?" I said, glaring white-hot fury at them.

"Two reasons. The new leader of Team Plasma begged Ghetsis to spare you. Master Ghetsis agreed to keep the leader happy, for one, and he knows that because of how close you are to the Hero of Truth and the Elite 4, killing you would cause them to seek revenge. Their influence over the region would create a massive uprising that we are not prepared to deal with right now." The woman told me, growling again.

"But mark our words, if you defy us, if you continue to seek Team Plasma's destruction, we will have no mercy on your OR your mother." The man in front of me said, picking up his knife. I gritted my teeth harder and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to keep hold of my emotions.

'_Lola, I can't hold out any longer. Get rid of them! I don't care what you have to do, just don't let them have the satisfaction of knowing they got me!_' I begged.

'_We're coming Vixen!_' Lo said as the ball on my lanyard wiggled.

'_Stay strong! We'll protect you!_' La cried. The multicolored pokeball on my neck burst open, and a very angry Zweilous popped out of it. Lola snarled as Lo fired a Dragon Pulse at the man with a knife. La swung her head towards the woman, grabbing her by the ankle and tossing her away while they lifted their back legs, kicking the arms that were constricting me. My captor hissed as he let go, and I fell to the ground, willing my fast-asleep legs to move, while Lola went berserk.

"ZWEILOUS!" Lola cried. All three members of the Shadow Triad gathered their pokeballs, ready for a battle, when bolts of electricity struck the ground where they stood, making them leap out of the way. Bisharp quickly ran to me and scooped me up in her arms, throwing me onto Lola's back before turning around and brandishing her blades.

"Sharp!" She snapped. The Shadow Triad started to throw their pokeballs when Klang floated down over us, and with a curt nod to each other, they vanished from the alley. I began to hyperventilate, and almost didn't notice Colress until he carefully sat on Lola, pulling me into his arms.

"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" He asked me, tightening his grip. I lost all self control I had, and clutched his lab coat tightly, crying my eyes out onto him.

'_Vixen, it's okay. We're here, it's alright._' Lo said, whining.

"Vixen….Klang! Go get help! Get one of the Elite 4 or Cynthia here right away!" Colress barked, sending his pokemon away.

"Sharp." Bisharp said, pressing a metallic hand to my back.

'_Please don't cry Vixen, it's going to be okay._' La begged. Bisharp, Colress, and Lola did their best to comfort me, but I refused to listen. My mom was all I had for nearly 15 years before Cheren and Lola and the others came into my life. She gave me strength and hope and love, going above and beyond the call of duty of motherhood to make sure that I could be happy and free in a world that favored bigger, stronger people than me. No matter what happened to me, no matter how hard I fell, no matter how much I failed, Mom was always there for me.

And because of me, her life's in danger.

* * *

TBC

*sniffle* There is no shame if you want to go hug your moms now. God, the things I do for the sake of storytelling. I'm so cruel to Vixen ;3; Also, that little "sense" Vixen has that tells her when shit is about to go down, it's not a special power or anything like that. Everyone has something like that hard-wired into them. It's like, you have a feeling that something bad/good is gonna happen, but you don't know exactly what, so you are more cautious. I got that a LOT during school.

So guys, given the story is based on Black 2, and what you've seen of Vixen, you obviously know she's not gonna give up her pursuit of Team Plasma. So I have something for you to consider. To orphan, nor not to orphan? I know the answer, do you?

Next chapter soon.


	61. Chapter 60: Coping and Hoping

"Oh Vixen…" Grimsley said while I continued to cry.

After Colress and Bisharp chased away the Shadow Triad, Klang retrieved my worried master. I was sobbing too hard to be able to tell them anything, so instead they decided to get me out of harms way and rushed back over to the villa with me still clinging to Colress. Everyone had gathered in the living room, human and pokemon alike, and aside from Grimsley's saddened words, no one said anything. We sat in relative silence while I cried on the couch, this time in Grimsley's arms, while Shauntal rubbed my back. Even Lola was unable to completely reach me through my sadness, her feelings of comfort washing over me but none of her words.

"I always knew they were bad, but this, this is low even for Team Plasma." Said Marshal. I looked up to see him watching me helplessly, Colress standing beside him and shifting uncomfortably while he nodded in agreement. I sniffled and leaned further against Grimsley, who hugged me tighter in response.

"I'm so sorry, my dear." He said softly. I sniffled and nuzzled his chest, trying to get ahold of myself.

"I should have considered this, they've been trying to do everything they could to me, and Mom doesn't have any pokemon at home with her. It never crossed my mind because Cheren was there, but it's not fair to blame him for this. Oh god what have I done?!" I said, new tears coming out. Grimsley started rocking me back and forth to try and comfort me, and I felt a warm hand on my forehead. Warmth and love flooded my mind, though it was an entirely different mental voice than Lola's. It was more blunt than her mindvoice, and far more sure.

'_Calm yourself, you are being unreasonable._' The thought echoed in my mind over and over, but I didn't know if it was mine. It FELT like my own thought, but at the same time it wasn't. Regardless, I allowed the thought to stay and between it and the comforting feelings that swam in my head, I felt much better. I felt more sober and coherent, like I could think straight again without bias.

'_Vixen? Can you hear me?_' Lo asked with a whine.

'_Oh Vixen, please, please answer us. We're begging you._' La said, whining as well. I opened my eyes once more and was shocked to see Caitlin kneeling down in front of me, a soft smile on her face with her warm, dainty hand on my forehead.

"That's better. Someone who is capable of outsnarking me should behave in a more dignified manner. That level of distress is for the weak and the newly born. Crying like this doesn't suit you." She told me, her tone arrogant yet loving at the same time. In her own, cold way, Caitlin did care about me, and I was grateful, reaching up to grab her hand from my forehead and hold it.

"Thanks Caitlin." I croaked. She smirked and stood up, pulling her hand out of mine and walking over to a chair.

"Alright, that's my two poke. What do the rest of you have?" She said snottily. I snickered softly, further boosting her ego. Grimsley snorted at her, and I could tell he was rolling his eyes.

We sat in silence, the air thick with awkward tension. No one knew what to say or do to further aid the situation. I was still miserable, but I was feeling better the more Lola talked to me. I sat up from Grimsley and shifted to sit between him and Shauntal, and I reached out to my dragon. Lo warbled while she reached out to me, allowing me to rub the down on her head, and I looked down at the pokeball that glistened on my neck. Lowering my hand, I plucked the pokeball off my neck and cupped it in my hands, staring longingly at it as though it could bring my mother back.

"What do I do now? If I try to save her or keep on chasing Team Plasma, they'll kill her. I can't let them get away with this though." I said quietly. Everyone stayed silent, but I saw Colress take out his tablet, tapping away on it. Marshall gave him an annoyed look, but Cynthia reached out to him to stop him from taking his anger out on the scientist. After some more tapping on his tablet, Colress looked at me, and I could see a sadness in his eyes that reached many different levels. As though somehow, this was his fault and he wanted to fix it.

"What do you want to do?" He asked his, his voice laced with the tiniest traces of regret. I tilted my head at him, briefly wondering if he indeed played a role in the kidnapping of my mother. I don't know if he would have confirmed, nor denied it, but I knew that he truly did want to help me. Would he help me take them down though? I thought it over, considering all the possibilities I had. I had many friends, human and pokemon alike, who would help me no matter what. Even if Colress wanted me to flee from this fight, even if he turned his back on me if I kept going forward, everyone else would stand by me to the end.

"I'm gonna get my mother back, and then I'm gonna make Ghetsis pay dearly for threatening me AND her." I said defiantly. Everyone chuckled at my enthusiasm, and looking back into Colress' eyes, I saw admiration and gratitude overtake the sadness they held. He put away his tablet and turned to the door, turning his head back to me with a soft smile.

"Meet me at the pokemon center tomorrow. We must be quick, but you need your rest. See you then." He said, opening the front door and leaving. I sniffled, feeling a couple of arms drape across my back. I looked up and saw both Grimsley and Shauntal leaning close to me, trying to comfort me.

"We'll be behind you all the way." Grimsley told me softly.

"Team Plasma thinks they can write this story to fit their desires, but you are the hero. The hero always wins." Shauntal chirped.

"Let's get to bed right now. The sooner we sleep, the sooner we can get up and see what Colress intends to do." Cynthia said, standing up. I nodded and stood up from the couch, giving Lola another pat on the left head. I started towards my room, leaving the adults to talk about this turn of events, and let my pokemon out as soon as I got into the room.

"Get yourselves settled guys. We need to go into overdrive to complete our mission now." I told them, changing out of my bathing suit. Beth reached into my bag and pulled out my pajamas with her tail, laying them on the bed. I patted her neck thankfully before pulling the clothes on myself, collapsing on the bed. Feeling a pressure on my back and waist, I was lifted into the air. I looked to see Zachary pulling back the blankets on my bed, and Lola, holding me up, gently set me down on the mattress. Zachary leapt onto the bed beside me and purred while Sorrel pulled the blanket over us. With a warble, both heads of Lola laid down on my right side while Zachary curled up on my left, and with a hand on both, I allowed myself to drift into sleep.

With help from a purple light.

* * *

TBC

Yes, Shauntal's Chandelure ate MORE of Vixen's soul to make her tired enough to sleep. Deal with it XD.

Contrary to the comment of the anon "Da_Undertoad_51", last chapter wasn't so much Vixen dodging death as it was me being a dick (which is weird because I'm a chick. Hey, I made a rhyme!). I admit, thinking back on this, while it's totally logical and makes sense from my point of view *for obvious reasons*, this kidnapping side-plot came way out of left field to you guys. For all my hard work and careful planning in making sure that plot twists are unexpected, yet make sense, I kinda failed here to prepare you guys for this. Sorry about that. I promise I'll be more careful in the future ^^;

So now we are winding down the relaxation arc and going right back into the story, with a vengeance!


	62. Chapter 61: Making Decisions

'_Vixen, it's time._'

'_Come on, everyone is waiting for you._'

Lola's voices gently, but firmly pulled me out of sleep. I yawned and stretched out in my bed, opening my eyes to look up at the skylight. Though it was relatively late in the morning, the sky was darkened from gathering gray clouds. I heard my bedroom door open, and Shauntal walked in, closing it behind her. I paid no mind to her as I stared up at the sky that seemed to empathize with me, as though it were trying to comfort me by not letting me be alone with my melancholy feelings.

"Such a perfect beginning to a tragic novel." Shauntal said as she sat down on my bed. I frowned and turned my head away from the ceiling, narrowing my eyes at her.

"Really? You're gonna make a pun at a time like this?" I growled. She showed no signs of having heard me, her stupid and creepy smile as wide as ever.

"Not a pun, a metaphor. Puns are for later, when the mood needs to be offset. As an author, it is my job to make sure my readers are well-taken care of. I want to bring them into my story, make them be apart of it, and in a sense, for the duration of that book, I am the reader's mother. As such, I have to comfort them when the story gets too intense and begins to upset the reader, so that they have the strength to go on." She explained. Despite all my talent for being able to understand her, this one stumped me, and it greatly annoyed me.

"What does that have to do with this situation?" I said, tilting my head.

"Everything. In stories that are sad or upsetting by nature, the author needs to tug at your heartstrings without ripping them apart. Though not all stories have happy endings, all stories have something in them to make them worth reading, so that when you get to the end of the book, you don't feel like you wasted your time and tears for nothing. For example, my novel, 8 Pages." She said, looking for my bag. Beth reached into my bag at the far end of the room and pulled out the book in question, gently pulling it into her tail and holding it out to Shauntal, who brushed her hand over the cover lovingly.

"Shauntal?" I asked, utterly confused by this point.

"8 Pages is frightening and very sad, so much so that I stipulated to the publisher that it should only be sold to the strong-hearted just from the sheer emotional trauma I inflict on the reader with it. But I managed to counterbalance the fear and sadness and urgency, and did it well enough that it was given the honor of being a movie." She explained.

"Honor is not the word I would use. The movie was great but most of the time when books get movie deals, the movie turns out to be crap." I said somewhat bitterly. Shauntal laughed and patted my shin through the sheets.

"Well that's why I was very much involved with the production. It helped that most of the people working on the project actually read the book, so we were all able to come together and produce something that would enthrall the fans, but that's not the point I was trying to make." She said, letting some annoyance into her tone. I smiled innocently, enjoying my vengeance from so many sidetracks she's thrown at me.

"Sorry, keep going." I said, though Shauntal knew I wasn't sorry at all. Despite that, her creepy smile returned and she started petting the book again.

"Anyway, what made this book a success was not the Slendoark, or the girls death. It was the love she had for her Riolu, and the loyalty Riolu had to her that stayed with it all the way through it's evolution and death. I told two stories in the same book here. A story of a monster, and one of a grand friendship that even death couldn't destroy. Even during the Slendoark's pursuit, the girl still cared about her partner and kept its best interests in mind over all the terror and sickness she felt. Even when she disappeared, Riolu still loved her enough to live out the experience over and over just to hear her voice, and then gave that up because it knew she wanted to warn others." She said, holding the book out to me. I sat up and took it, staring at its cover, and Shauntal put a hand on my shoulder as the door opened again and Grimsley walked in.

"For once, I actually understood that. What Shauntal is saying is that even though things look bad now, it will work out in the end. Maybe not in the way we intend, but there will be something in the end that we can take away and be satisfied. You need to keep the faith and not let this bring you down. Alright?" He said, his eyes hopeful but worried. I smiled as I yawned, leaning in to hug them both as best as my little arms could, and both Grimsley and Shauntal returned the gesture.

"Thanks Master, Shauntal. I needed that." I said softly. The three of us remained in silence for a few more minutes before we broke apart. With one last pat on my shoulder, both Grimsley and Shauntal left the room so I could get ready to go, feeling a little bit better.

I was still somewhat quiet as I made my way through the quiet Undella streets, Grimsley and Lola following along. Because of how overcast it was, not many people were out and about today. They didn't know any better, but I knew it wasn't going to rain even though it looked like it. Beth had a strange ability to detect weather like that and had assured Lola who told me that the sky was cloudy and nothing more. In a way, the sky really was reflecting my emotions. I felt kinda sad and empty, but I didn't feel like crying about it.

'_If you say anything regarding controlling the weather, I will bite you._' Growled Lo as she stomped behind me, making me laugh.

"What's so funny?" Grimsley asked, turning to look at me while we walked. I shook my head and reached behind me to pet my dragon.

"Lola thinks I'm getting delirious. I was just making an observation." I said, adding the second part to her.

'_Right, observation. And we're actually very scaly Pidgey._' La said with a grin. I snickered and patted the dragon again, turning my attention back to the road to see the pokemon center coming up. As we got closer, I felt myself getting nervous about meeting Colress. I couldn't put my finger on it, but there was something about him that made me feel strange.

'_What do you think guys? And be honest, please._' I said to my dragon. The Zweilous hummed as both heads considered my thoughts.

'_I don't know. We didn't like him when we first met him, but we're okay with him now since he's helped us. And he's been so good to you._' Lo said slowly.

'_But there's something about the things he's been saying. I think he's in Team Plasma._' La said bluntly, completely out of character for her. I stopped right there and turned to stare at the pokemon, drawing my master's attention.

"Vixen?" He asked, tilting his head.

"You don't seriously think that, do you Lola?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat. My own pokemon had come to the same conclusion that I refused to acknowledge, and it frightened me. It frightened me because Colress was one of my closest friends, he's gone out of his way to help me. Sure, most of the time it was for his own benefit, but he also seemed to have my well-being in mind.

'_We do. We realize that you enjoy the scientist's company, but creatures like him are dangerous. Even in the pokemon community, there are individuals who stop at nothing for the pursuit of knowledge. Regardless of how immoral it is or who gets in the way, they will not be deterred._' Lo said with a soft growl.

'_Colress has made no attempts to hide the fact that he is pretty much using you and us for his experiments. I wouldn't put it past him to go out of his way to make you happy despite his pursuit, because if you make someone happy they are more likely to do what you want. We're not saying you should avoid him, but you do need to be careful._' La finished, humming. I sighed and looked down at my feet, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Vixen, what's wrong?" Grimsley asked, a hint of worry in his voice. I looked up at him, grateful for his presence more than I ever had been. With my mother gone, my master was all I had for guidance at the moment, and I really needed it right now.

"Lola says she thinks Colress might be in Team Plasma." I told him. Grimsley said nothing as his stern mask took over his face, his eyes focusing on mine.

"Where did she get that idea?" He asked, his eyes flicking to Lola for only a moment. The Zweilous stood tall, whether out of defiance or ignorance was anyone's guess, but I knew that she would defend her opinions as fiercely as she would defend me.

"She's pieced together the things he's said as him being apart of them." I said quietly. Grimsley hummed low and regarded me with calculated eyes.

"And you? What do you think?" He asked. I blinked slowly at him while I gathered my thoughts, and I gritted my teeth for a moment.

"I, I can't deny that he's made hints about it since Reversal Mountain, but I don't believe it." I said, biting my lip.

"You don't believe it at all, or don't want to?" He asked me. I gulped and started to turn my head down, but my master would have none of that. His hand lashed out and grabbed my chin, abruptly tilting my head back up so that I was forced to look into eyes that now burned with silent fury, though I knew it wasn't directed at me, persay.

"I-I don't want to. He's my friend, he's helped me so much. If it weren't for him, Lola would probably still be miserable right now because HIS Rare Candy is what made the final push to evolution. Plus, he helped me teach her Dragon Pulse, and explained how to manipulate it. Not to mention, he played a big part in Reversal Mountain in protecting me, and not just when you showed up." I said, feeling my defiance come back to match the inherent pride of my Dragon Affinity.

"I just don't think that someone who would go out of their way to help you like that, to protect you like that, would turn around and stab you in the back like that. I dunno, maybe he WAS in Team Plasma and has recently left, but I do know that until I actually see it for myself, I'm not going to write off Colress as a maniacal psychopath like the people in Team Plasma." I said, stepping away from my master.

Grimsley and I locked eyes, once again having our Dark Affinities fill the air with tension while we mentally battled it out. I don't know what Grimsley wanted from me. I WANT to save my mother and protect my friends, and I still consider Colress as a friend. I wasn't going to turn my back on him any more than I was going to on my mother or Unova. I did my best to project these feelings to my master, and it seemed that it was exactly the answer he was going for. The corners of his lips ever so slightly pulled into a small smile, and he walked back up to me to place a hand on my shoulder.

"Then you need to find out once and for all if he IS with Team Plasma or not." He told me simply, making me blink.

"Like, ask him directly?" I asked, tilting my head. Grimsley let out a warm laugh and pulled me into him in a light hug.

"Now where's the fun in that? Come on, we've got Dark Affinities. We don't just confront these things head-on with little thought. Besides, if you did ask such an outrageous question in public, you'd cause a panic, ESPECIALLY if he said yes. I doubt he would tell you he was for that reason. No, as you said you should wait until you know for sure." He said, pulling away and kneeling down slightly to look at me.

"I do know one thing, though. I can tell he very much does care for you. As you said, no one would go through that much work to help someone only to later betray them. Regardless of whether or not he is in Team Plasma, he does value you. As such, you owe it to him to give him the benefit of the doubt." He said, emphasizing that last part for Lola. Lola's heads huffed, but I knew they both agreed, and hearing this calmed my inner turmoil over the subject. I smiled at my master warmly and stood up straighter, starting to the ever-drawing-closer pokemon center with renewed vigor.

"You're right, I owe it to him and to myself not to jump to conclusions or let this eat at me. Let's hurry and see what he has for me, I wanna get out of here and get back on my quest ASAP." I said, much to Grimsley and Lola's amusement. They both followed closely after me, and there was nothing more on the subject as we walked inside the center. I looked around the lobby to see Colress huddled in a corner, utterly focused on something that I couldn't see. I frowned and tilted my head in curiosity before I quietly walked to him, careful not to interrupt his work. Lola and Grimsley were still at my side and also looked on in fascination as Colress worked on a small chip. He set down the stylus-like device and reached into a pocket on his lab coat and took out two large pairs of sunglasses, holding them out to us.

"Put these on to protect your eyes." He said. I blinked at him as I took one of the glasses, turning to Grimsley for his input. My master shrugged and donned the sunglasses as instructed, and I did the same, covering my eyes in total darkness and grinning.

"It's 9 in the morning, cloudy outside, it's dark and I'm wearing sunglasses. Let's do this." I said, causing both men to snicker.

"How are you old enough to have seen that movie?" Grimsley asked as I made out Colress pulling something over his own glasses.

"My mom likes movies, and I didn't have much else to do other than watch them with her. Blues Brothers was one of her favorites." I said when a bright, white light appeared in front of me. The chip Colress held hissed in protest from the small welding pen he held to it, and both he and Grimsley hummed in response to my explanation.

"I see. It was a pretty good movie. I took a cinema analysis class at the private school my family sent me to just so I could have some fun, and that was one of many movies I had to study." Grimsley said. The light and hissing stopped, and I pulled off the eyewear to look at the chip that Colress now blew on.

"That should do it." He said, setting it down.

"What is it?" I asked, still confused about it.

"It's my way of protecting you from Team Plasma. May I see your X-Transceiver?" He asked, his face still hidden while he held out his hand. I shrugged and unstrapped the device from my wrist, setting it into his hand. He quickly set to work in dismantling the device, pulling off the shell and gently removing the screen. He reached into another pocket and pulled out a pair of tweezers, using them to grab the chip he had just made.

"Wh-" I started, but Colress interrupted.

"Shh! I've only got one chance." He hissed, slowly lifting the chip up. He carefully moved it over the X-Transceiver. He gently lowered it down, and I saw him set it into a very tight space. He released the chip from the grip of the tweezers and then pocketed the tool, grabbing the stylus from before and lowering it onto the chip. He pressed the tip onto a small space of the chip and gently pushed down until it clicked in place.

"There we go. You're all set." He said, setting the stylus back down, putting my X-Transceiver back together and then finally turning to me. I gasped when I took in the sight of his face. He looked exhausted from the lines on his face and the dark circles under his eyes, and the way he smiled at me, though sincere, oozed fatigue.

"Are you alright?" I asked. Colress perked up and reached for my hand, pulling it toward him so that he could strap my X-Transceiver back onto my arm.

"I'm fine. I worked through the night making this chip. It's a special override chip that will block the signal coming from your X-Transceiver. You'll still be able to make phone calls and browse the internet and whatnot, but as far as the network is concerned, you don't exist. No one will be able to get ahold of you unless you call them, so you're hidden. No one can find you using your X-Transceiver." He said. Grimsley gasped quietly in surprise, but I was more touched than anything. Colress found a way to hide me without making me hide, he was giving me a real chance to protect myself and save my mother.

"Thank you." Was all I could say as I stared down at my now-protected X-Transceiver.

* * *

TBC

Sorry about taking so long guys, I was going through another emotional hurdle and wasn't feeling the greatest. I got hit where it hurts most twice, so…yeah. *sigh*

But I'm better now, though a bit worried for unrelated things…Moving on!

Also, I am completely against Movies that are based on books/TV series/anything that isn't totally original or a comic book. Harry Potter got lucky *at least in the early years, I didn't get to see the movies past year 4*, Eragon shattered my hopes and dreams on book-based movies, and The Last Airbender completely destroyed the media-based movie industry for me. About the ONLY media-based movies I've seen that I enjoyed were comic-book based ones like Spiderman. Seriously, if you wanna make a movie, don't make one based on something that exists already unless you actually KNOW the material. Otherwise you'll get bird-winged dragons and laughably ineffective bad guys who are only a threat if you are dumb enough to light a candle near them.

And thus ended the last chapter of the Undella Saga! Next chapter, we, finally, make it to Route 13. There will be an awesome surprise in store for Vixen there! What is it? I ain't telling you, just wait for chapter 62! :3


	63. Chapter 62: On The Road Again

This was it. Once I stepped through this gate, I would be on my on more than I ever had been. Colress made sure of that. Thanks to him, once I stepped away from my entourage of all-stars, whose eyes bore into my back, there would be no way for them to find me and save me if I got into trouble. But you know what? Fine by me! I was ready to show Team Plasma and Ghetsis what kind of trouble they just got themselves into. I didn't have a Legendary Dragon, but I DID have Lola!

"I'm gonna show them all what happens when you mess with the underdog." I declared, pride and righteous fury lacing my voice.

"That's the spirit. Hell hath no fury like the Darkness when wronged." Grimsley said proudly. I turned around and smiled at the semi-circle of powerful trainers and their pokemon.

"Indeed. I can almost see my mother now, standing in the kitchen and preparing dinner. I'm looking forward to it, she makes a mean roast." I said, making everyone chuckle. It was almost enough to make me cry to see the love in everyone's eyes. Even Caitlin looked peaceful. I adjusted my bag on my back as Cynthia stepped out of the lineup, her Garchomp following close behind.

"So long as you and your pokemon have each other, you will be just fine. But please, be careful. This road ahead will be long and dangerous." She said with a tinge of worry. Although she was sincere, I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her.

"You're late to the party in that area. I've been nearly killed, what, 15 times now Lola?" I asked, turning to my twin-headed companion. Lola tilted her heads in thought while they considered my question.

'_Actually, more like 10._' Said Lo in a deadpan tone.

'_That sounds about right._' La agreed. My eyes widened and I blinked slowly at the pair.

"Seriously? 10? I thought it'd be higher than that. Anyway, yeah. I'm pretty much on a first-name basis with death." I said, making the group laugh.

"Well, can't blame me for wanting to say it anyway, right? Seriously though, good luck." Cynthia told me. I smiled at her, almost not notching her Garchomp until she moved and was almost at eye level with me. I looked into her yellow slitted eyes, and I knew she was also worried for me. With a small smile at her, I lifted my hand and gently patted the side of her face. Satisfied, Garchomp stood back up and joined her trainer when Cynthia went back to the lineup. I turned my head to see my master and Bisharp watch me in silent pride, and I walked over to them, hugging Grimsley and looking apologetically at Bisharp.

"Sorry about threatening you yesterday, I didn't mean i-" I started when she raised a bladed arm. Bisharp smirked at me and chirped something at Lola, whose heads grinned in response.

'_She said don't worry about it. Everyone needs space every once in awhile._' Lo translated. La cooed and reached out to me with a soft whine.

'_I hate to rush things, but we should go. Lacunosa town's gym leader is waiting for us._' She told me, feeling horrible guilty for rushing the goodbye. I reached out and patted her head softly, stepping away from Grimsley.

"No you're right Lola. I'm sorry everyone, but we really should be going now. I'll call when I get to Lacunosa, and Shauntal, I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything more about Kyurem." I said, moving to Lola's side so that I could mount her. I curled my legs up as soon as I sat on her back, reaching to pet her soft down while she turned back to the gate.

"Good luck Vixen." Grimsley said as Lola began to walk.

"I can't wait to see how this story ends, but don't rush it. Weave a wonderful tale that will leave a lasting impression!" Shauntal chirped.

"Listen to your heart and to your pokemon, they will never lead you wrong." Cynthia added.

"Don't expect me to come save your childish hide if you get in trouble, you're on your own." Caitlin said, with only a tinge of annoyance.

"I'll make sure Keldeo knows where you're headed so that it can be there when you need it." Marshall added. Lola's claws began to clack when she touched the tile of the gate, and I closed my eyes and smiled to myself.

"You know something Lola? I've come a long way. I've gotten pretty confident in myself, I've made great friends, and I have 3 families in my team, the elite four, and my mother. And it's all because of you. I wouldn't have any of this if it weren't for you. You're my best friend Lola, I love you." I said, leaning down to hug both necks. The two heads crooned as they craned to touch me with their noses.

'_We love you too._' Lo said, straightening herself to focus on the path when we reached the end of the gate.

'_We wouldn't be anything without you either, this works both ways you know._' La told me. When we reached the end of the gate and took the first steps outside, I looked up to see the sky clearing up. The sun poked through the clouds and casted several rays on the path Lola and I would take, and I could help but grin.

"What was that earlier about me not being able to control the weather?" I asked teasingly. Lola growled in response, Lo turning her neck to nip my hand.

'_I can smell the ocean nearby. I have no problem throwing you in it._' She warned as the dragon started padding ahead. I laughed and leaned down on Lola, yawning.

"No thanks, I'm getting sleepy. Are you okay carrying me while I nap or should I get another pokemon?" I asked. Lola stopped and both heads considered my offer, nodding after awhile.

'_If you want to sleep, I suggest you ride on Sarah. Since we're out in the open like this, and unprotected, Sarah will be able to get you away quickly. We're build for power, not speed, and that's not good for running away._' La told me. I nodded and dismounted the furry dragon, holding up her pokeball.

"Alright then, thanks Lola. I'll bring you out when we get to Lacunosa." I promised. When the red beam of light shot out and pulled Lola back into her pokeball, I reclamped it onto my lanyard. Reaching for my belt, I pulled off Sarah's pokeball and held it out, the red and blue dragon bursting out of it. Sarah roared excitedly and quickly spun around to face me, but I held my hands out and patted the air in a 'calm down' gesture.

"Easy girl, listen, I need a ride to Lacunosa town. I think if we go North from here, we can find the road to get to it. Do you think you can get me there without waking me up?" I asked. Sarah smiled and turned back around, laying down. I returned the smile and walked over to her, stepping on a raised foot to pull myself onto her back. With a yawn, I stretched out and draped myself across her back, and she stood up carefully.

"Mence?" She asked softly, turning her head to look at me. Even though I didn't have Lola, I somehow knew Sarah was asking me if I was comfortable, and I just smiled softly and nuzzled my head into her scales.

"I'm fine. Wake me if something happens, or if we get to Lacunosa. Whichever happens first." I said, feeling myself drift off to sleep. I felt myself bounce slightly, and I knew Sarah was making her way on the path I told her to on foot. She could probably spot Lacunosa easier and faster from the sky, but I needed the sleep, and she knew taking the scenic route would get me more of it. Considering how much time I've seen her spend with my quirky Typhlosion, I'd almost forgotten how smart and clever this dragon was.

I don't know how long I was asleep, but it didn't feel like long enough when I was jolted out of my slumber by the bouncing of my steed. I coughed and quickly leapt up to see what as going on, and when my vision cleared up I saw the ocean below us. I blinked and patted Sarah's neck, drawing the dragon's attention.

"What's going on Sarah?" I asked. She turned her head and pointed at something ahead of us, and squinting my eyes, I saw a blue form dart around far away.

"What do you think, wanna take a closer look?" I asked. Sarah didn't bother to answer me, instead opting to curl up and shoot us forward, soaring towards the commotion as fast as her wings could carry us. When we got there, I was shocked by what I saw.

Cobalion was the blue form I saw, and it was trying valiantly to dodge attacks launched at it. It was surrounded by 3 Team Plasma members, each wielding a Seviper, a Zangoose, and a Liepard. They attacked Cobalion all at once, and Sarah started bracing herself to dive in and save it, but stopped when I put a hand to her neck.

"Wait, let's just watch. Cobalion has an advantage against all of those pokemon and it's a legendary pokemon." I said, watching the scuffle below us. Sarah turned her head and tilted it at me curiously.

"Mence?" She asked. I smiled and stroked her neck.

"I just don't want to get in the way. We'll help if it gets in too deep but if Cobalion is anything like Keldeo, this shouldn't be a problem for it." I said. Sarah nodded and turned back to watch the action, and what a sight it was.

Cobalion drew it's sword and dueled with Seviper, who came at it with a Rock Smash-charged tail blade. The two blades clashed over and over while Zangoose and Liepard danced around them, hitting Cobalion's sides every so often. The swordsman was not going to go down though, it snarled and kicked away Zangoose and Liepard every time they came close, somehow maintaining its concentration to duel with Seviper. I grinned and leaned down on Sarah, silently cheering Cobalion on when I noticed one of the Team Plasma members doing something with his hands. I squinted and tried to focus, but was unable to see what the man was doing. Thinking quickly, I pointed the camera lens of my X-Transceiver at the battle and zoomed in on the grunt, and I gasped at what I saw.

"Sarah! Down now! Cobalion, look out!" I cried. Cobalion looked up at the sound of my voice at the same time the grunt fired his tranquilizer gun. I screamed in anguish as Cobalion fell with a loud, pained grunt, and kicked my heels into Sarah's neck to make her dive faster.

'_Get out of here, I can handle this!_' Cobalion bellowed at me.

"Sarah, use Shadow Claw!" I commanded, ignoring Cobalion's orders. Sarah's arms coated themselves in blackness that migrated toward her claws, forming huge blades. With a roar, she slashed at the enemy pokemon, throwing Seviper and Liepard away while she slammed her tail into Zangoose. Roaring once more, Sarah landed with a thud in front of Cobalion, allowing me to jump off and stand between her and the paralyzed swordsman.

"If you want Cobalion, you'll have to get through me first!" I snapped. The grunts glared at me through their masks, and I grabbed another pokeball to fight them off. I was horribly outmatched, especially with that tranquilizer gun in play, but I was going to fight with everything I had. Though Cobalion didn't like me very much, I knew it and the other musketeers meant the world to Keldeo in the same way that my mother meant everything to me. If not for Cobalion's, then for Keldeo's sake I was going to protect it with my life.

"Seviper, Poison Tail!"

"Zangoose, Crush Claw!"

"Liepard, Night Slash!" The grunts commanded. I tossed a pokeball up as Sarah braced herself, ready to obey my orders.

"Sarah, use Dragonbreath! Sorrel, Lava Plume!" I called. Sorrel burst out of the pokeball with white-hot fury. He coughed up a massive bubble of fire and smoke while Sarah screamed her pink fire, blowing Liepard and Zangoose back. My pokemon braced themselves to counterattack, but it was unneeded. A torrent of water shot out from the forest and threw Seviper back, and Keldeo ran out of the trees, drawing its sword and running it through Seviper's tail. Seviper screamed in pain at its broken tail blade, leaving its trainer no choice but to call it back.

'_Stay away from my friends!_' Keldeo snarled defiantly. The grunt with the Tranquilizer Gun began to reload it.

"Careful Keldeo, he's got a gun that fires a sedative! That's how he took down Cobalion!" I said as the man took aim. Keldeo glared and tried to run, but Liepard had rushed out and sunk its teeth into one of Keldeo's legs. The water horse cried out in pain and tried to dislodge the cat, but the grunt fired his gun at Keldeo. In the blink of an eye, a blue blur rushed past me and slammed into Keldeo. Cobalion had somehow managed to summon the strength to get up and take the hit for Keldeo, taking another dose of the paralyzing compound.

"Sorrel, don't let him fire again! Flamethrower!" I commanded. Sorrel snarled, lighting his neck flames and spitting out a stream of fire at the grunt. The man cried out in pain, dropping his weapon. Sorrel and Sarah turned to me, giving me a stern look telling me that they could handle this on their own. I nodded at them and rushed over to Cobalion, kneeling by its side. I put a hand on its soft fur, feeling its labored breathing.

"Are you alright?" I asked, pulling out the darts. Cobalion grunted and cracked open its eyes, staring at me angrily.

'_Why didn't you run when I told you to?_' It asked, its breathing getting more strained. I smiled and pushed its head down, smoothing out its fur.

"Because you need help. Listen, I hate to ask you this, but we've got to get you out of here. Let me put you in a pokeball and I swear I'll-!" I started. As soon as I mentioned capture though, Cobalion snarled at me and lashed out, thrusting a hoof into my stomach, kicking me away.

'_How dare you!? I thought you might be different, but all of you humans are the same! You just use pokemon and steal their power, well I'm not going to be apart of this! I'd rather die than let a human own me!_' It snarled. Cobalion drew its sword, ready to swing it at me, and I squeezed my eyes shut in anticipation of the blow. I heard a ring, but the blow never came. I opened my eyes to see Keldeo had once again come to my rescue, intercepting Cobalion's sword with its own.

'_You're wrong, Master! Not all humans want us for our power! I've been with them, I've played with them, I've known them! Sure, some humans TRIED to catch me, but most of them are perfectly fine with being my friend! Like Vixen. Vixen never intended to make me her pokemon. She's had me in a pokeball, but only because it was for my own safety. She promised to free me as soon as it was safe, and she did!_' Keldeo said, tossing its head to throw Cobalion's Sacred Sword back. With its master stunned, Keldeo jumped between me and Cobalion, its tail brushing my face gently. Cobalion looked on in stunned silence, giving Keldeo a stare that ordered it to step away from me. Keldeo stood its ground though, rearing up and aiming its hooves at Cobalion.

'_You would defend this human and its decision to capture me?_' Cobalion asked. Keldeo growled and allowed a small splash of water to hit Cobalion's face.

'_No, but I would defend my friend and her decision to help you. If I have to, I will take you down myself to keep her safe. Don't make me do it, Master._' Keldeo pleaded. The two pokemon stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, completely ignoring the ferocious battle behind us. Finally, Cobalion moved. It looked past Keldeo at me and stared into my eyes. I forced as much emotion and will to help into them as I could, and Cobalion understood. It nodded at me and dropped to the ground completely, its breathing getting worse.

'_Very well. I will trust you, human. I'm at my weakest now, I doubt I could break your pokeball if I wanted to. If what Keldeo says is true, then please, help me._' It said, adding the last part in a mental whisper. I smiled and stood up, holding up two pokeballs.

"Sorry Keldeo, but you'll have to come too. The less weight Sarah has to carry, the faster she can get us out." I told it. Keldeo dropped back onto all fours and gave me a sweet smile.

'_Alright, let's go then!_' It said, tapping one of the pokeballs with its nose. As soon as Keldeo was drawn in, I gently tapped Cobalion's boot-like hoof with the ball. It gave me another stern look before the ball pulled it inside, and though it shook violently, the ball clicked its capture. Turning back to the battle, I saw Sarah and Sorrel back to back, fending off Zangoose and Liepard. The grunt from before reached down to grab his tranquilizer gun, and I knew it was time to go. I held up another pokeball and recalled Sorrel, dashing into the fray to hoist myself onto Sarah's back.

"Sarah, get us out of here before he retrieves his weapon!" I commanded. Sarah screamed and threw herself into the sky, and it was all I could do to hold on while she pumped her wings furiously. With the wind burning my eyes, I could make out the faint form of a town just ahead in the direction Sarah flew.

Please, let them have someone who could save Cobalion!

* * *

TBC

I….have no excuse for my lack of updating. I could tell you about how I lost my best friend. How I got pretty damn sick *and still am very much so*. But I won't, because it won't change anything and I'm doing okay now. Instead, I'll, finally, get back to writing this fanfic. Which, by the way, has caught up to where I am in the game now. I actually fought Cobalion with Sarah and spammed Thunder Fang until it was paralyzed, and then lobbed pokeballs *yes, normal pokeballs* at it until it was caught. Am I awesome or what?

So, Cobalion got a double dose of a heavy duty sedative, and its bad enough that it'll let a human capture it in the hopes that it'll be saved. Good lord I hope there's someone in Lacunosa who can validate that trust.

Geez, I was counting all the near-death experiences Vixen has had, and if you don't count the Celestial Tower event where she pissed off Reshiram, I got to 10.

We'll have to see in 63!


	64. Chapter 63: Cobalion's Trust

I paced in the corner of the quiet pokemon center, nervous beyond reason. I stopped every so often to look up at the sign above the emergency room entrance, mentally begging it to stop glowing. It never answered my pleas though, opting instead to keep the boxed syringe alight with a bright red light. Whimpering, I returned to my pacing, much to the annoyance of my companions.

'_Will you stop? You're scaring me more than I already am._' Keldeo said with a whimper.

As soon as Sarah had touched down in Lacunosa, I returned her and called out Keldeo. It wasted no time in flinging me onto its back with its horn, and I grabbed the blue crest on its head to guide it through the small town. People stared at us, shocked not only by the presence of one of the musketeers, but also by the fact that it was being ridden by a human. We didn't ignore them though, as most of the people were able to recognize the urgency and pointed the way to the pokemon center. Those who didn't move were thrown out of the way by good samaritans and their pokemon. Even the local wild pokemon were determined to help, going ahead us to clear the way. When we finally arrived to the pokemon center, Keldeo and I thanked our helpers sincerely before we rushed in. I charged up to the counter to give Nurse Joy Cobalion's pokeball, explaining what had happened, but it seems that in my rush I forgot one crucial detail.

Trainers can only have 6 pokeballs in operation at a time. As Cobalion was the last pokemon I caught, its pokeball locked itself and it refused to budge when Nurse Joy took it. I would have released the swordsman, but unfortunately once you get past the 6th pokemon, the pokeball freezes completely. Instead, I rushed over to the PC quickly and tossed Zachary's pokeball into the deposit slot, creating an account on the pokemon storage system network. It felt like it took hours, but I managed to login and get Zachary deposited, reactivating Cobalion's pokeball. The moment the ball became operational, Nurse Joy and her team of Audino ran to the emergency room.

And so Keldeo and I waited anxiously. Another pair of Audino had appeared and while one held the counter, the other disappeared into the cafeteria. It came out with a tray of warm apple cider, setting a bowl in front of Keldeo and handing me a mug. Audino breathed its name and patted my shoulder comfortingly, taking the tray away while I sat down to sip my drink.

"What did it say?" I asked quietly, barely keeping the anxiety out of my voice. Keldeo blew a few snowflakes of Icy Wind into his bowl of hot cider before taking a few laps of it, looking up at me with hopeful eyes.

'_She said that they'll do everything they can for Cobalion. Vixen…He'll be okay, won't he?_' It asked, its eyes filling with tears. As I stared into Keldeo's hopeful eyes, I saw it for what it was for the first time since I met it. Right now, Keldeo was not a musketeer. It wasn't even a legendary pokemon. It was a lost child whose guilt about running away from home was consuming it. The water horse sniffled and tried very hard not to cry, but I could tell that this was one battle it would not win. Setting my mug down, I stood up from my chair and sat down in front of Keldeo, petting its nose softly.

"Yeah, he'll be fine Keldeo. Nurse Joy's are awesome like that, and so are Audino. I'm sure that with them working together, Cobalion will be up and about and kicking my ass like his old self. It's going to be okay." I told it. Even I didn't really believe what I was saying though. Cobalion was a big pokemon, and just one of those darts was enough to make him helpless. But he took a second dose too to save Keldeo. That was a lot of drugs pumping through his system, and I'm not sure even Nurse Joy could deal with that. But still, I had to be strong for Keldeo. So even if I didn't believe my own words, I had to make Keldeo believe them. I don't know if it did or not, but I was determine to make Keldeo feel better, and I pulled its head onto my shoulder, encircling its neck tightly in a loving hug. Keldeo continued to sniffle softly, and hiccuped every so often, while I closed my eyes and prayed.

…

…..

…

'_Incredible. This pokemon neither liked you nor wanted anything to do with you, and yet, you still wish for its safety? For your friend's sake? Never have I ever heard such a loud, heartfelt plea. Very well. Cobalion has my blessing, and will never truly die, but since you truly want for it to be safe, I shall intervene just this once._' A powerful voice said. I gasped and jumped away from Keldeo, clutching my head tightly to dispel the ensuing headache, causing Keldeo to jump up in fright. I could feel it trying to prod my mind, and I soon felt Lola join in, but their words couldn't reach me. My mind felt like it was being torn apart not unlike Lola's prior to her evolution, and it was all I could do to not scream. All around me, I heard electricity buzz and people and pokemon alike scream, and I felt three furry heads surround me.

I was still in incredible pain when I felt someone grab my chin, pulling my head up and forcing my mouth open. A pill was shoved down my throat, followed by a stream of apple cider. I began to cough uncontrollably, but a firm hand held my mouth shut ensuring I would swallow the pill and keep it down. As my coughing slowed, I felt my headache disperse, and I was able to open my eyes.

"Are you alright child?" Asked the elderly woman in front of me. I looked at her and stared at her attire, trying to guess who she was and where she came from. She looked like she was dressed for some sort a ceremony, as she wore elegant white robes embroidered with gold vines twisting and turning on it. A huge, silver sash was draped around her neck, and her hair was held up in a bun that seemed to be held together by a metal Rayquaza. I blinked slowly at the woman and looked around, seeing Keldeo and Lola at my sides, whimpering.

"I, I think so. I heard a voice, a big voice. It was like I was talking to Reshiram, but it was much louder. What happened?" I asked, looking up at the woman.

'_You summoned the Original One, the pokemon you humans call, Arceus._' Said Cobalion's voice. I looked up and saw Cobalion emerge from the emergency room, a pair of wheels at his sides. He must have been on some sort of walker or trolly, for he had a hard time moving about. Two Audino flanked his sides, ready to intervene in case something happened. Cobalion, though weakened, looked like he was well on the road to recovery, and regained his proud, if arrogant air.

"I did what?" I asked. Keldeo got up and ran over to Cobalion, rubbing its head on his shoulder and crying uncontrollably. Cobalion craned his neck and nudged the water horse lovingly, pushing it away after awhile.

'_Control yourself, Keldeo. A Sword of Justice does not behave this way. But I'm glad you're alright too._' He said, smiling warmly at Keldeo. Keldeo sniffled and rubbing its nose with one of its forelegs, and both the old woman and I felt our hearts melt at the scene.

"I've seen a lot of wonderful things in my life, but nothing like this. Thank you child, for giving this to me." Said the woman, putting a warm hand on my shoulder. I smiled and opened my mouth to speak, but I was interrupted by Cobalion clearing its throat.

'_As I was saying, you summoned Arceus. I don't know how, and I don't know why, but you brought Arceus here and it used its divine powers to heal me. I am not completely recovered, but I'm not going to go through the painful reincarnation process._' He told me, staring sternly at me. I blinked and clasped my hands together, suddenly sheepish.

"I did that? I-I didn't mean to. I was just, I just wanted you to be okay." I said meekly. Cobalion wheeled himself over to me and stood over me, looking down with fierce eyes.

'_Arceus only answers to the sincere. Why would you wish so strongly for my recovery after everything I've done and said to you?_' He asked. I broke eye contact with Cobalion and turned my gaze to an elated Keldeo, who looked at me with the most adoring expression it was capable of making.

"Because, Keldeo is my friend, it still needs you Cobalion. I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you anyway, but I especially can't stand by and watch while someone Keldeo cares about suffers. I just….wanted to help." I said, shutting my eyes tight in preparation for a snarky accusation. Instead, I felt something hover in front of my face, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Cobalion had lowered his face to be level with mine.

'_I…was wrong about you. You are indeed different from my idea of humans, and it took my apprentice and The Original One for me to see it._' He said, nudging my face gently with his nose before pulling back, closing his eyes.

'_But that doesn't mean I'm wrong about humans. I'm not ready to trust all of them yet but, you and Keldeo have certainly opened my eyes. This is a different time, so maybe it is time I gave my judgement again._' He said, shaking himself quickly, raising his body off the trolly. Nurse Joy returned from the operating room and gave me Cobalion's pokeball, and with a grateful nod to her I turned to the swordsman and smiled.

"Well, maybe you should take a page out of Keldeo's book. Here, this is your pokeball. Why don't you destroy it, and go look at humans yourself." I said, tossing the ball over to him. Cobalion allowed his prison to drop to the ground and roll in front of him. He gave it a long, hard look before closing his eyes once more, gently kicking it over to me.

'_I can't believe I'm saying this, but no. Those humans, Team Plasma, they were dangerous. I don't know if they know I cannot die, but we both know full well they intended to kill me. No offense, but you are a tiny human. You need my power, and I am willing to give it to you._' He told me, opening his eyes and allowing a small smirk on his face. I smiled and sniffled, but I shook my head, kneeling down to pick up the pokeball. Grabbing Keldeo's pokeball off my belt, I turned to Lola. Knowing my desire, she padded up to me and leaned her two heads in close, opening her mouths wide. I placed the two pokeballs within her gaping maws, much to the shock of Cobalion and to Keldeo's approval.

"Let'er rip Lola." I commanded.

'_WAIT!_' Cobalion started, but he was too late. With all the force she could muster, Lola chomped down on the two pokeballs with Crunch, shattering them beyond repair. As she spit out the pieces of broken metal I turned to Cobalion and bowed.

"I appreciate the offer, really I do, but the only reason I captured you and Keldeo was so that my Salamence could get us away. I'm well aware of how dangerous Team Plasma is, this is not the first time they've tried to kill me." I said, standing up from my bow. I turned to Lola and rubbed the soft down on Lo's head, making her croon.

'_I hear a "but" coming._' Cobalion said wryly.

"But," I started, humoring him. Keldeo giggled at my joke, and I gave Cobalion a cheeky grin. "My pokemon and I have come a long way. A few months ago, I was Aspertia City's scapegoat. Lola was a timid Deino who didn't like fighting. Sorrel was a goofy Cyndaquil who got beat fairly easily. Sarah was a smart but uncoordinated Bagon. Zachary was a shy Zorua who stuck close to me. Separated, we're nothing but a bunch of misfits, but together, I know my pokemon and I can be greater than anything. As long as I have them, I don't NEED the power of a legendary pokemon." I said, hugging Lola's heads.

"Besides, you have a job more important than staying with me. I appreciate the thought, but with Team Plasma running around, the pokemon need you and the rest of the musketeers more than ever, Cobalion. Who will protect the wild pokemon if you are palling around with me?" I asked, tilting my head. Cobalion chuckled and walked back over to me, towering over me.

'_You are definitely different from my idea of humans, Vixen. Very different._' He said, looking behind him at an excited Keldeo.

'_Come, Keldeo. We have work to do._' He said, walking towards the entrance of the pokemon center. Keldeo trotted after him, stopping to stand next to me and rubbing his face on my shoulder.

'_Thanks Vixen, you're the best friend a pokemon could ever ask for._' It said, smiling at me. I smiled back and leaned down to hug the water horse, patting its back.

"You're welcome Keldeo. And thank you, I really appreciate that. Now go catch up to your master. If he's anything like mine, then he won't like being kept waiting." I said, mock-scolding Keldeo. It giggled at me before it turned towards the door where Cobalion waited, galloping over to it. With a nod to me, both pokemon left the pokemon center, and I heard a round of applause all around me. I looked to see trainers and pokemon alike, including the old woman who helped me before and Nurse Joy, clapping at me.

"Young lady, do you know what you just did? You turned down not one, but TWO legendary pokemon. Any other trainer would have gladly taken up Cobalion on its offer. It takes a lot of guts to stand by your pokemon and believe in their own power." Said the old woman. I smiled sheepishly and drew circles on the tiled floor with my toe, suddenly shy.

"Yeah well, my pokemon have gotten me out of jams before. Every time someone or something tried to kill me, or I got into a tough fight, they always came through for me. Speaking of which, I need to get my Zoroark." I said, rushing over to the PC with Lola close behind. As I logged onto the storage system network, I heard the old woman come up behind me, producing a cane from within her robes and tapping it on the ground, leaning on it.

"So, given the rather amazing encounter and the outrageous turning down of the musketeers, I would say you are Vixen, am I right, child?" She asked. Zachary's pokeball dropped into the slot by the computer, and as I grabbed it I turned to look at the woman cautiously.

"I am, who are you, and how do you know my name?" I asked, taking a step towards Lola who hummed low in her throats. The woman laughed and reached out to me, resting a hand on La's head and rubbing her chin gently, making the dragon croon.

"No need to fear me, child. I received an email a couple of days ago asking for me to return home and meet up with you." She said, leading me over to a table where she sat down, gesturing for me to do the same. I sat in a chair across the table from her, and she set down a small box, opening it to reveal a small pendent that looked like a dragon's eye. My eyes widened and I quickly looked up to see the old woman smiling warmly at me.

"My name is Ryuna. I am the Lacunosa Gym Leader."

* * *

TBC

Okay, the reason THIS chapter took so long is actually really stupid. I was debating on this one for a LONG time because I wasn't sure if it would break your bullshit meter or not. After a long, LONG time considering it, and without figuring out an alternative, I decided to take a chance and go through with it. Yes, Vixen DID get in contact with Arceus. Yes, I DID just Deux Ex Machina'd the hell out of Arceus and used it to insta-cure Cobalion. NO, it was NOT because I wrote myself into a corner. I COULD have come up with something else for Cobalion's recovery, but in all honesty, the way I wrote him out (geez, it took 27 chapters for us to find out what Gender Cobalion sees himself as?), I wanted to show just how stubborn he is, yet still somewhat reasonable. That it would take something incredible to make him admit that Vixen is awesome. Who better to tell him that than Arceus? Plus, I wanted to see how Vixen would react to having GOD in her head. Am I terrible for enjoying that head-splitting migraine scene?

Anyway, so we've FINALLY earned Cobalion's complete trust, we got to encounter Arceus *sort of*, and we met the Lacunosa Gym Leader. And, for those who care, we got to find out what happens if you go over the 6 pokemon limit.

The story will be updated faster now. See you guys in chapter 64. :3


	65. Chapter 64: The Price of Anger

I stared at Ryuna from across the table, who smiled warmly at me and chuckled. This little old lady was a dragon type trainer? Nevermind gym leader, but it takes a lot of will to train ONLY dragon types. I was lucky that the only dragon I had that was a stereotypical arrogant dragon pokemon was Beth, but she tones it down really well.

"I, it's nice to meet you. You're different than what I expected." I said, tilting my head at her. Ryuna chuckled and leaned back in her seat.

"As are you. I use the word "child" out of formality, and because I'm an incorrigible old bat who can get away with it, but I assume you are much older than you look?" She said, grinning slightly. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was related to Carina.

"Point taken, heh heh." I said awkwardly, drawing a choked snicker from Lola. The old woman laughed and waved dismissively at me.

"Don't worry about it, young one. As much as I love teasing the youth, I'm afraid that's not the reason why I came home early. Shauntal is out of her friggen mind, but I was able to get that you'd like to learn about Kyurem, correct?" She asked. I nodded and became serious again, giving Ryuna my full attention.

"Yes, I do. Team Plasma stole Kyurem, and they claim that they will use it to rule the world. But everyone I've asked said that Kyurem isn't strong enough to take on one of the other dragons on its own, nevermind both of them. Is there something we're not considering?" I asked. Ryuna hummed and leaned over the table, propping her elbows up on it and resting her chin in her interlaced hands.

"Hmm, I'm not sure. The legend of Lacunosa begins with the end of the first war and beginning of the second. As you well know, after unifying Unova, the two brothers tried to create a guideline of which they and their bloodline would follow to rule the new kingdom. The older one argued that without truth in Unova, there could be no trust, and the kingdom would never truly be united as one. But the younger brother countered in saying that without ideals, the people would be lost, and the kingdom would destroy itself trying to find a meaning in their lives." She said, staring at me with the stern, hard eyes one would expect from a gym leader.

"While both brothers acknowledged the existence of the opposing value, they refused to compromise their position. They were stubborn, and tried to argue that _their_ value was the superior one. Legend has it that the argument devolved from a civil discussion about how to rule into a verbal war and vicious attacks on each others pride. It appeared that the flames of war would erupt again, and there was one soul who did not wish for that to happen." Ryuna said, looking down.

"Their dragon, the legendary pokemon who helped them create Unova and held both brothers near and dear to its heart, could not bear to watch as its best friends quarreled violently. The Dragon loved the twin heroes as much as any parent loved their offspring, and attempted to intervene. It tried to convince its friends that there was no one right answer, and that a truly successful kingdom needed both honesty and direction. Unfortunately, its pleas were lost to the two brothers. Drowned by the anger and contempt that each brother nursed for the other. As their anger grew, so did the power of their dragon, and because they were unable to see past their own egos, their fury drove the Dragon mad. The Dragon destroyed their castle in a flash of fire and lightning, rising into the sky, driven by the insanity from its companions. This still did not get the twins attention though, and their rage grew to the point where they both declared war on the other, each brother vowing to kill the other." She explained, flashing her eyes up at me.

"Their final declaration of death pushed their dragon over the edge. The combination of their wrath and its power being left unchecked caused the dragon to combust. Fire, electricity and ice surged around the brothers, and four powers emerged. Reshiram, the dragon of Truth, wasted no time in rushing to the older brother's side. Zekrom, the dragon of Ideals, followed suit, throwing itself between Reshiram and the younger brother. Though they were weaker than before, the two dragons were still one being at one point in time, and they were still filled with the hatred and fury of their chosen heroes. They were still insane from the lack of harmony which had destroyed their single body, and I'm certain they were also reeling from the pain of the split. Had they been in their right minds at the time, I'm certain the story would not have ended the way everyone knows it did." Ryuna said with a sigh. I thought over her story carefully, though it was one that everyone knew. I then focused on one part of her story and looked up at her.

"Wait, you said there were four bodies, yet only two make it into the legend we all know about. I assume one was Kyurem, but what about the last one? What happened to them?" I asked. Ryuna smiled and straightened up.

"Well that is the less-known story. After the dragon destroyed itself, two meteors flew away from the scene. The larger one, which contained Kyurem, landed just a ways away from Lacunosa town here, creating the Giant Chasm. Unfortunately, Kyurem was also apart of the original dragon, and it was just as mindless as Reshiram and Zekrom were. When Kyurem landed, it attacked Lacunosa Town and consumed many people and pokemon in its way. Unlike Reshiram and Zekrom, who were equal in power and were able to destroy each other, Kyurem was unchallenged, and even after its siblings fell into their slumber, Kyurem was free to wreak havoc, which it did so for many years. The people of Lacunosa built a wall around the town to try to keep out Kyurem, and they never left their homes during the nighttime. Though this is an old, old legend, and many don't believe in it anymore, Lacunosans are still driven to avoid the open air of the night." She said, closing her eyes.

"What many Lacunosans don't remember though, is that after awhile, Kyurem's wrath subsided, and its pain was only a memory. When it realized what it had done, Kyurem was consumed with grief. Of the three values, it held balance higher than all else, preferring to be neutral and stay out of the way. And the balance was shattered by Kyurem's own power. Seeking to make amends and help its new neighbors feel safe, it was _Kyurem_ who suggested they build a wall. Kyurem aided by forcing the neighboring pokemon to help build the wall under the threat of death. When it was completed, Kyurem told everyone that so long as they avoided the Giant Chasm, stayed within the wall and stayed in their homes at night, it would not bother anyone. With little choice, the people agreed, and Kyurem kept its word. After the construction of the wall ended, Kyurem was never seen in Lacunosa again." She finished, smiling at me softly. I couldn't help but sniffle at her story. Even after everything he had gone through, it sounded like Kyurem had a good heart. He never wanted to hurt anyone in the first place, and now he's in the possession of someone who would force it to.

"Poor Kyurem, he doesn't deserve this." I whispered out loud, prompting Lola to whimper and nudge my back with her heads. Ryuna stared at me oddly while I reached behind me to pet Lola's down.

"I do believe that is the first time I have EVER heard anyone express sympathy for Kyurem. Most people don't know Kyurem's name, and just call it a monster that attacked the city. Those who DO know of Kyurem tend to agree, so the fact that you not only know about Kyurem, but genuinely care for it astounds me." Ryuna told me, completely bewildered. I chuckled low in my throat and nodded, turning back to her.

"Well, if I hadn't already encountered him a couple of times, I probably WOULD agree about him being a monster. But the thing is, Kyurem saved my life once, and tried to protect me a second time. I really believe that Kyurem is a good pokemon, and I'm sad that there are people out there who would capture him and try to use his power. I mean, I'm against using pokemon for bad things in general, but this is flat-out cruel to a pokemon that really wants nothing to do with human affairs." I said defiantly. Ryuna smirked and reached across the table to snatch my hand, patting the top of it gently.

"Indeed, and there will be justice for it. Why do you call Kyurem male?" She asked me, tilting her head. I smiled awkwardly and chuckled.

"Well, it was something that Reshiram said to me. When I had a chance to talk to her one on one, I asked Reshiram what gender she was, and she explained that all of the legends who directly serve Arceus are hermaphrodites. As she put it, 'they are both, but neither'. When the world ends though, they pick a gender to be and then start the recreation of the world, and Reshiram said that she's leaning towards being female if we ever get to that point. So I pretty much just wait for the legendary pokemon to tell me what they want to be without outright asking them, and Reshiram referred to both Zekrom and Kyurem as her brothers." I explained. Ryuna made a curious sound and nodded slowly at me, crossing her arms.

"Typical Dark Affinity, that is quite clever." She praised. I beamed at her and relaxed in my seat, taking in the information.

"So, what about the last body that came from the original dragon? What is it and where did it go?" I asked. Ryuna straightened herself and looked behind her, turning back to me.

"The smaller body landed in what is now Opelucid City. Unlike the first three bodies, the last was not a pokemon that we could tell. It was a gray stone that looked very similar to the sleeping forms of Reshiram and Zekrom. We didn't know what it was or what it did, but after Kyurem had calmed down, the people from Opelucid offered it to him. Kyurem refused, saying that he had no idea what it did but he instinctively knew it wasn't anything good. He asked the people who found it to keep it away from him and his siblings, and then fled for the Giant Chasm. It's still there now, if you would like to go see it. If it would help your research into stopping Team Plasma, I suggest you go pay Drayden a visit." Ryuna finished, looking carefully at me. I smirked and stood up, stepping back to stand by Lola.

"I guess it's off to Opelucid city then. But first, I feel I should point out that your badge is very pretty." I said playfully. Ryuna smiled and stood up as well, bracing on her cane.

"If that is your way of asking for a gym battle, I accept. Let us move to a more proper location. Follow me to the Lacunosa Gym." She said, turning towards the door with me and Lola in close pursuit.

* * *

TBC

The legend chapters ALWAYS take up more than I intend to. I was gonna have all hell break loose here but that would have made it sooo long. Guess we'll just have to see what becomes of this in chapter 65.

I had to do some research for this chapter. Although by now we all know the history of Unova, but I had to go look for some specific details and stuff, mainly about which dragon sided with which brother. I cried when I started writing it though, especially when I got to Kyurem's part. So sad, the poor dragon just wants to be eft alone. ;3;

Alrighty, so I've hinted at some srz biz in the next chapter. Is it because of the gym battle or something else? I command you all to fight to the death about which might be right until I get the chapter out!

See you in 65. :P

EDIT: Oh my god, I tried to use BBCoding in a fanfic. How sad is that? I spend too much time in forums XD.


	66. Chapter 65: A Fallen Friend

As we made our way out of the pokemon center and onto the streets, Lola and I silently planned a strategy to use against Ryuna. Dragon types were supereffective against dragon types, so I was at both an advantage and disadvantage at this gym. It would come down to who was faster I'm sure, so I bet Ryuna had some pretty fast pokemon. I'd probably have to rely on Sarah, Beth, and Zachary to have a chance.

'_I dunno, maybe you should take Sarah or Beth out for Sorrel. It could be risky to have more than one dragon pokemon for a dragon gym. Sarah is bulky and Beth is a bit of a glass cannon. One wrong call and it could be over for them._' La said with a hum. I grinned and patted Lo's head softly.

'_In other words, you want to battle._' I said, calling her bluff. Lola snorted and stomped her feet as she walked.

'_No! We've got endurance but that's about all we've got going for us._' Lo said to me bitterly.

'_We're not as fast as we used to be, and we likely won't get that back even when we evolve. We'll be able to take a few hits even from our weaknesses, but we can't guarantee that we'll be able to return the favor._' La explained with a sad whimper. I stopped walking and turned around to hug the two heads tightly, giving both a small kiss on their noses.

"Don't worry Lola, I'll figure it out." I said out loud, much to her relief. I turned to continue following Ryuna, but found she had stopped, looking down the road. I walked up to see what was happening, and she stuck out an arm, stopping me in my tracks.

"Hold on my dear, there is something quite odd happening." She said. I looked past her just in time to catch a red and blue blur whizz past us. With a look to each other, Ryuna and I nodded at one another and proceeded after the creature that ran past us, Lola lumbering quickly behind us. When we caught up, I was shocked by what I saw.

"Where is Purrloin!? I know you have him, give me back Purrloin!" Cried a voice. In front of me and Ryuna, Hugh stood braced for battle, anger oozing from every part of his body. In front of him, I recognized Zinzolin and two members of Team Plasma beside him. He looked on at Hugh in a bored way, which only fueled my neighbor's fury. I reached onto my belt and grabbed one of my pokeballs, with Ryuna producing one from her sleeves, and we joined Hugh.

"Hello Zinzolin. How have you been? It's been a long time, I think the last time I saw you was when you tried to kill me." I said snarkily, making Lola chuckle. Zinzolin shifted uncomfortably, but Hugh quickly interjected, elbowing my chest gently enough to not hurt me but hard enough to quiet me.

"Are you out of your mind? This is no time for small talk! I WANT MY SISTER'S PURRLOIN!" He shouted, starting for the trio. Lola and I quickly stepped up and grabbed ahold of my neighbor, holding him back while I glared at the group.

"Alright, if you don't want me to let go of my rabid friend here, you'll return the pokemon you've stolen, not just from him, but from all the trainers you hurt, and stop your plot!" I commanded. I admit, it was a longshot. I wasn't seriously expecting Zinzolin to obey me, but the way he burst into laughter at my demand made me feel belittled, and it infuriated me.

"You are quite an adorable pair of trainers. Even if I WAS in charge of our plan, there is no way I would give it up because a child asked me. I'm bored of the world we live in, and Ghetsis' idea for changing it sounds interesting. I want to see how he accomplishes it." He said, walking forward. Ryuna stepped up beside me, but made no other movements, preferring to watch our foe carefully.

"Pokemon are creations of nature. Pokeballs are creations of civilization. What would the world be like if we separated the two? Both nature and civilization are important, but a world ruled by Team Plasma would force the two to live on opposite sides as opposed to together. Resist though they would, for it is in their nature, people would throw out pokeballs, their product of civilization that allows them to control nature, and separate themselves from pokemon. I want to know what that looks like, and I want to enjoy it!" He declared, looking at us with a demented grin. Lola and I released Hugh and the three of us raised our pokeballs.

"Shut up! All I want is to get back a stolen pokemon! Vixen, will you help me?" He said, suddenly turning to me. I grinned and tossed my pokeball up, Beth appearing in front of us gracefully.

"Of course I am! Let's give these guys a taste of Aspertia justice!" I said. Hugh nodded and tossed his own pokeball, an Emboar appearing beside Beth. On Beth's other side, a large, elderly Garchomp stood ready, and I turned to see Ryuna staring at our foes with an arrogant glare.

"You Team Plasma runts have cause much trouble for Unova. As a gym leader, I cannot allow you to carry on. My Garret will stop you in your tracks." She declared, her Garchomp echoing her sentiment. Zinzolin snorted as though amused, and he and his companions tossed their own pokeballs. A Cryogonal, a Weavile, and a Golbat faced off against our trio of pokemon, and Ryuna made the first move.

"Garret, use Dragon Claw on the Weavile!" She commanded. Garret the Garchomp rushed forward, and the two pokemon locked in an intense combat. If I didn't have my own battle to take care of, I would have watched Ryuna closely. As it was, Hugh and I were at a disadvantage, but we could turn it around easily.

"Golbat, Acrobatics on Emboar!" Called one of the grunts. Golbat flew towards Hugh's pokemon, and I had to act quickly.

"Beth, protect Emboar and use Aqua Tail on Golbat!" I commanded. The Dragonair flew towards Emboar, throwing herself between the fire pig and the incoming bat. With her pearls glowing, Beth forced a large stream of water to twist around her tail, slamming it into Golbat.

"Cryogonal, Ice Beam!" Zinzolin called. Cryogonal flew forward to retaliate, but Hugh was a fast-actor as well.

"Emboar, help Dragonair with Flamethrower!" Hugh called. Beth quickly hid behind her partner, who ignited its neck flames and blew out two streams of fire from its nostrils. The attacks canceled each other out, leaving our pokemon unharmed.

"Use Slash!"

"Acrobatics!" The two men commanded. Their pokemon flew at ours in an amazing show of speed, but it wasn't going to be easy to hit my sinuous Dragonair.

"Agility!" I called.

"Take Down!" Hugh commanded. While Beth went on the defense and dodged every attack from Cryogonal, Emboar rushed forward and locked arms with Golbat. Neither side were going to give in, and I had to do something to help.

"Beth, use Dragon Tail!" I cried. Beth's tail began to glow, and she rushed forward and slammed it into Cryogonal. The force of the hit threw Cryogonal into its partner, breaking the deadlock between Emboar and Golbat.

"Now's your chance Hugh!" I told him. Hugh nodded and punched the air in front of him.

"Emboar, finish with Heat Crash, boy!" He commanded. Emboar grunted and leapt high into the air, allowing Beth to hit him with her Dragon Tail on the way up. As he came flying down, he engulfed himself in a pulsating fire, slamming down on top of his opponents. As he pulled himself up and stomped back to Beth, Cryogonal and Golbat were revealed to have been knocked out by Emboar's attack. I would have celebrated, but there was still a battle going on, and I turned to Ryuna's fight to give her aid.

"Keep going Garret! Dragon Rush!" She commanded. Her Garchomp snarled and flew towards a tired Weavile, covered in fierce blue fire. Weavile watched on in horror, and I knew my assistance was not needed. This attack would finish it.

"Not so fast gym leader! Weavile, use Slash!" He commanded. Weavile raised its long claws and rushed forward, colliding with Garret. Garret's Dragon Rush engulfed both pokemon and burst outward in a large explosion. Hugh and I grunted and braced ourselves against the energy surge, Beth and Emboar retreating to help us keep our footing. Ryuna never flinched though, and looked on as though nothing was happening while she waited for the smoke to clear. When it finally did, Ryuna's face fell into a look of pure horror. Hugh and I gasped at the sight before us as well, and were it not for Beth holding me up, I would have collapsed from the shock of it all.

Weavile was not only still conscious, but grinning maliciously at its foe. Garret, on the other hand, looked shocked. He slowly turned his head down to look at the claws embedded in his chest, rolling his eyes back up to stare at Weavile. Weavile chuckled and pushed its claws in deeper, pushing back Garret. The Garchomp gagged as he fell backwards onto the street, gasping for breath. I watched in sadness as Ryuna rushed to her pokemon's side, and Weavile ran forward to attack her. This drove me to my boiling point and I untangled myself from Beth's coils.

"Beth! Lola! Make them pay with your strongest Dragon Rush!" I commanded, fury lacing my voice. The two dragons roared as they charged forward, slamming into Weavile and sending it flying. But the deed was done, and the Team Plasma trio recalled their pokemon.

"You are quite remarkable girl. You remind me very much of the Hero of Truth when I last saw her. Oh well, we've finished our work here. It's time we take our leave. We'll see you again real soon." Zinzolin said, turning around and quickly fleeing with his two companions. Hugh growled and turned to me as I made my way to Ryuna, but I waved him away.

"We'll be fine, go after them! Just go!" I ordered. Hugh nodded and he and Emboar quickly chased after Team Plasma.

A crowd gathered around as Ryuna held her pokemon tightly. The old woman sniffled ever so softly as Lola, Beth and I got closer. My Dragonair leaned in to look closely at Garret, and I silently willed her to find a way to help him. She turned to me with a sad look, and I knew there was nothing we could do. Garret was dying.

"My dear, dear friend, I'm so sorry." Ryuna said, pulling Garret's head into her lap. The Garchomp whined and weakly raised one of his claws, allowing Ryuna to take it into her hand.

"Garchomp…." He said weakly. Lola sniffled and pushed me forward.

'_He said that he's the one who should apologize. He let her down._' Lo said, whimpering.

'_Vixen…_' La started, but I didn't give her a chance to finish, I knew what she wanted to do.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing, I let you down." I said, translating from what Lola told me. Ryuna and Garchomp snapped their eyes to me, confused at first. Their eyes widened as they both made the same realization that one of my dragons and I were in contact, and were translating for Garret. They turned away from me and looked back at each other once more, and Ryuna smiled.

"No, you didn't. You fought so hard, and did the best you could. I couldn't be more proud of you. If only I had given you a different command." Ryuna said, choking back a sob. Garret warbled weakly and pulled his claw out of her hand, reaching up to brush her face gently with it.

"Chomp chomp gar. Garchomp." He started. As he spoke, Lola and I worked as fast as we could to translate.

"Don't be sad Ryuna. This wasn't your fault anymore than it was mine. We're just too old to keep up with the young ones, and were too stubborn to admit it. But you know what? I'm happy. I'd rather die protecting you than allow time to take me, and I got my wish." I told her, pausing only when Garret took a shaky breath. Ryuna sniffled and put her hand on Garret's claw where it touched her face, the first signs of tears making their way into her eyes.

"You were my first friend Garret. The first pokemon to consider me for a trainer. We had a lot of fun together, didn't we buddy?" She said quietly. Garret grinned and nodded weakly, and began speaking again.

"Yeah. We fought together, succeeded together, and managed to grow old together, and I had fun the whole way. Thanks for the best years of my life my friend. I will wait for you on the other side. Just promise me one thing." I told her for him. Ryuna sniffled and nodded, her grip on Garret's claw tightening as his grip on her weakened.

"Anything, Garret." She said, visibly struggling to hold herself together. Garret's breathing became more and more shallow, and it wasn't long now. Like the stubborn dragon he was though, he refused to go without a fight, and mustered the last of his breath together.

"Please, make me wait as long as you can. Don't be in a rush to rejoin me. After all, we'll have an eternity to spend together. Goodbye, my friend…" I said, adding the last part of his sentence softly. Garret dropped his claw from Ryuna's face, accidentally scratching it in the process. He let out one, final, rattling breath, and he was gone. Ryuna lost all control of herself, and began to sob while she allowed her tears to fall. Each drop slid down her face, washing it of the blood that Garret shed in his final gift to her and landing on his unresponsive face.

I stepped back until I was against Lola and sank to my knees, tears of my own streaming down my face. Lola pulled me into a sitting position and laid down, wrapping her front claws around my waist while she wrapped her heads around my chest, and Beth prodded the buttons on my pokeballs. My pokemon sullenly emerged from their containers, and each sat down with me and touched me as well while Beth coiled around us.

The citizens of Lacunosa, both human and pokemon, gathered around and expressed their own grief along with us. All called out their sorrows, some in a loud wail, and we shared each others sadness. Through my tears, I looked around and watched as everyone embraced each other to give their own comfort. Complete strangers were reaching out to each other to soothe the sadness of their neighbors, and among them, several children had come from the crowd, sad and confused about what had happened. I sniffled and patted my pokemon, who turned to me with their own grief-filled eyes.

"I'll be okay guys, go help those kids." I commanded. Though reluctant to leave me, my pokemon understood, and all except Lola left me to tend to the children. Lola tightened her grip on me and hummed low in her throats.

'_We stay. We'll never leave you._' Lo said defiantly.

'_We love you Vixen._' La told me. I sniffled and turned around in her grip, leaning between the two heads and hugging their necks tightly.

"I love you too, Lola. Thank you." I said, quietly sobbing onto her scales.

As night fell, true to Ryuna's story, the crowd dispersed to return to their homes, obeying the will of Kyurem. Slowly but surely, the townsfolk made themselves scarce, leaving only me, Ryuna, and our pokemon. With the children gone to their homes, my pokemon returned to my side, and they helped me pry Ryuna away from her deceased partner. Sorrel gently lifted Garret's lifeless body onto Sarah's back. I grabbed Ryuna's hand and helped pull her up onto Beth's back, and we made our way to the gym with her guidance. We opened the door and entered the pristine building, and Ryuna directed Sorrel and Sarah to a room where they could place Garret. They set the Garchomp down on a tile that held the picture of Kyurem, and Ryuna turned to me with hollow eyes.

"Thank you, so much my dear. From the bottom of my heart and Garret's, thank you for bringing us together, and for helping me carry him home. I, I'm in no shape to battle, but I think you have earned my badge. Please, take it." She said, holding out the dragon eye-shaped pendent to me. I shook my head and pushed her hand away.

"No, I couldn't Ryuna. I appreciate it, but my pokemon and I put everything we've got into EARNING our gym badges. They aren't just a means of getting into the pokemon league to us, they represent what we can do when we put our heart into our quest. And I won't battle you either. You need time to grieve for your Garchomp, and don't try to tell me otherwise. If it were me and Lola, I wouldn't be any better off than you." I said quietly. Ryuna smiled and nodded at us, closing her eyes. She turned around to look over the body of her companion, and she knelt down beside him, pressing the star on his forehead. Garret glowed for a moment, and Ryuna pulled out a dark blue object from the mark. Clutching it tightly in her hand, she stood up and turned around, holding it out to me.

"Then take this. It's a Dragon Gem. When a pokemon absorbs this, the strength of their next dragon type move is increased tenfold. But be careful, because it only works once. Please, for me and Garret, take this Dragon Gem and make Team Plasma pay for taking him away from me." She said, adding a note of begging to her voice. I nodded and reached out to take the gem, and Ryuna snatched my outstretched hand, pulling me into a tight hug. I wrapped my arms around the old woman, and we held each other tightly.

We were two kindred spirits, Ryuna and I. We both cherished our dragons above everything else, and had both lost something near and dear to our hearts because of Team Plasma. I was on a rescue mission to get back what was stolen from me, but unlike me, Ryuna would never get back what was stolen from her.

All the reason for me to rescue Mom quickly, and Ryuna's Dragon Gem was going to help me do it.

* * *

TBC

That was….the saddest chapter I've ever written. That was even worse than when Zachary got kidnapped, or when Vixen's mom got kidnapped. This was…this was something else. This isn't going to be the darkest chapter in Lola though, there is more to come. Starting next chapter.

So as you can see, my muse for Lola has returned, and once again we're caught up to my Black 2 run. I know how 66 is gonna go but I wanna go on in Black 2 anyway to make sure the events line up correctly. I'll try to update more often again. And we're close to hitting 200k words! Next chapter should take us over it. Hooray. ^^

See you in 66.


	67. Chapter 66: The Show Must Go On

The next morning, I wasted no time in getting on the road. I quickly rounded up my team and grabbed a piece of toast from Ryuna's kitchen. She had her home built in the back of the gym, and offered to allow me to spend the night with her. This meant that on my way out, I had to walk by Garret's corpse. I stopped walking and looked at the poor pokemon who had lost his life to Team Plasma, and made a turn towards him. I knelt down by him and clasped my hands together, closing my eyes.

"Arrow, I don't know if you can hear me, but please help Garret feel at home. He really needs a friend right now, and there is no one better to do that than you.. And make sure he knows I won't let them get away with this." I whispered, opening my eyes. I dropped my hands at my sides and just stared at Garret sadly. I reached out to gently touch his hide, and it felt stiff and tight. Rigor Mortis had set in, and I inwardly berated myself for allowing Garret to set like this. He was crumpled up like he was on the wrong end of a curbstomp battle, and he deserved better than that. With a deep breath, I pulled out Sorrel's pokeball and let him out, and the normally peppy Typhlosion stood behind me in silence.

"Sorrel, mind helping me with something?" I asked. He nodded and took off his hat, clutching it tightly in his claws on his chest while he waited for my command. I stood up and grabbed Garret's arms, looking behind me at Sorrel. I hoped my plan worked.

"Let's warm him up. Maybe we can loosen the Rigor Mortis enough to put him in a more dignified position." I suggested. Sorrel nodded and set his hat down, getting on all fours. His neck flames flared up, and he slowly moved towards Garret, trying to heat him up without cooking him. Slowly but surely, Sorrel and I were able to carefully bend down Garret's dorsal fin and flip him onto his back instead of his side. We then set to work repositioning his limbs so that his claws were crossed on his chest and his legs were straight. Moving up to his head, we managed to close Garret's mouth and his eyes, and then we stepped back to look over our handiwork.

Instead of curled up in a tangled ball of limbs with his eyes and mouth cracked open, now Garret looked like he was preparing to attack. He looked like he could be ready to act at a moments notice, and I was sure Ryuna would be grateful. Her friend had died a hero, and I wanted to make sure he would be seen that way when he was buried. I heard footsteps coming up behind me and turned to see Ryuna smiling warmly at me.

"Thank you dear. I really appreciate you doing that. Are you sure you don't want my badge? I'm sure Garret would agree with me about giving it to you as thanks." She said, but I shook my head. I knelt down to pick up Sorrel's hat and held it out to the Typhlosion, patting his belly when he stood up and took it.

"I'm sure. The badges mean a lot more to us when we fully earn them fair and square. We don't do nice things to get freebies, we do them because it's the right thing to do." I explained. Sorrel nodded and got back down on all fours. I petted his fur and climbed up onto his back, nudging him gently towards the door. Ryuna swiftly fell in step alongside Sorrel and rested a hand on my thigh.

"Very well, sweetheart. You are a good girl, your mother and your master both raised you well." She said, stopping once we got to the door. Sorrel stepped out of the threshold and stopped, turning around so we could look at Ryuna.

"Thank you, and I, I'm sorry." I said, turning my eyes down. Ryuna tilted her head and made a curious sound, tapping the tip of her cane on the tile of her gym.

"For what?" She asked. I sniffled and wiped my face with my arm.

"When Hugh and I finished our battle, I was going to have Beth assist Garret. Really I was, but the battle looked so one-sided I didn't think it was needed. If I had just gone ahead and commanded Beth, maybe-" I started, but I was interrupted by a sharp pain on my head. I yelped and started rubbing the sore spot, looking up to see Ryuna give me an annoyed look while she set her cane back down.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this. True, Garret might be alive if you had intervened and stopped the Weavile, but he and I would have been absolutely livid with you if you had. You might be the child of the elite 4, but I am a gym leader with a full-blown Dragon Affinity. Garret and I have our pride, and we'd die for it." She said, giving me a wicked grin.

"Don't you remember what you said for Garret? He'd rather die a hero than to let time take him. He died the way he lived, defiant and proud. There is no greater honor." She continued, reaching up to cup my chin.

"What you need to do now is get to Opelucid city. You need to find out about that artifact that Drayden has and save Kyurem. If you don't stop Team Plasma, Garret will have died for nothing. So please, go." She said, turning around and closing the door without another word. There was nothing more to say, even though I wanted to help her through this terrible time. I knew she'd be alright though. She was a gym leader, strong in power and in spirit. The pokemon league wouldn't have it any other way, and neither would I. I petted Sorrel's back, making the fiery badger look up at me as though asking 'what now?'. With a deep breath, I leaned down.

"Let's go boy, we need to hurry to Opelucid." I told him. Sorrel gave me his signature smile and turned back to the street. After talking with some Pidove that flew overhead, Sorrel knew where to go, and took off in the direction we needed to go.

When Sorrel took his first steps on Route 12, I sat up and closed my eyes, taking a long whiff of the air. There was a calming aroma floating in the breeze, and I opened my eyes to look around me. It was a very hilly grassland, and the way the wind ever so gently made the grass dance was very relaxing. I dismounted from Sorrel's back and encircled his neck in a warm hug.

"Thanks Sorrel, you get a good rest now okay?" I said. Sorrel smiled and nodded, sitting down while I recalled him. After I put his pokeball away, I pulled Lola's off my neck and tossed it up, allowing the two-headed dragon to land in front of me with a thud.

'_How are you?_' Lo asked, tilting her head. I smiled and reached out to pet her, starting on the calm, grassy path. She loyally followed behind, sighing in relaxation.

"I'm doing better. It's still very shocking though. That was, the first time I've ever seen someone die. Lola, is that how it normally is in the wild? I know you told me you guys fight to the death, but do you really, try to kill each other?" I said, turning to look at her out of the corner of my eye. Both heads hummed, and La butted against my back gently.

'_Yes, unfortunately. What you saw with that Weavile and Garchomp yesterday…is not much different from what I've had to deal with in the wild. But that is why we choose to be captured by humans, why we present ourselves to them and allow them to take us from our homes. That's what makes Garret's death truly heartbreaking. We trust humans to prevent needless deaths like that._' La explained with a soft whimper. I stopped walking and turned around to hold her head tightly, petting Lo's head while I rested my face against La's.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. Lola, I promise I will never let that happen to you or Beth or Sorrel, Sarah, or Zachary. I will do my very best to protect you guys while you get stronger." I said, feeling my anguish reignite. I fell away from Lola and sat on the ground, pulling my knees up to cry softly. Lola gasped and started to nip at my ankles, trying to get into my mind, but I was lost in my own thoughts.

I could promise Lola all I wanted to, but how could I protect her and the rest of my team? I didn't have claws or scales, I couldn't breath fire or fly. I couldn't even talk to Lola if I didn't concentrate enough. If a master dragon trainer couldn't save her best friend, then how could a runt who was the butt of everyone's jokes for 15 years? Maybe I should just listen to the Shadow Triad. Maybe I should go home until Carina and the Elite 4 take care of Team Plasma. If I did, Mom would come home, and my pokemon would be safe.

And yet, I didn't want to. There were so many people counting on me to be strong. They were counting on me to see my journey through to the end. I felt claws and scales touch me, and opened my eyes to see my pokemon had let themselves out of their pokeballs to gather around me. They all reached out to me with their paws, or in Beth's case, her tail, and looked at me with warm yet concerned eyes. They were counting on me too. They were depending on me to know what to do and to lead them on the right path. If I cut my losses and ran, then what kind of example would I be to them? And Ryuna, what would she think if I backed out? She all but demanded that I avenge her Garchomp. Master Grimsley, he taught me to be brave and push forward no matter what the odds. Would he forgive me if I tucked my tail between my legs?

I stood up, wiping my tears, and looked at all of my pokemon. Their faces brightened at seeing me recover, and I could hear Lola's voice again.

'_That's right Vixen, don't give up!_' Lo said with a grin.

'_As long as we're together, we'll be okay. You're not Ryuna, we know you'll give up your pride to help us. We trust you all the way. Besides, Team Plasma can't find you anymore, so they won't know one way or another if you're home or not. We might as well take the fight to them and get your mom back._' La said, snorting. I smiled and reached out to pet Lola, patting both heads softly while I turned to the rest of my team.

"What are we waiting for? Come on, let's go to Opelucid guys!" I declared, running out from my circle of friends and taking off down the path. I heard stomping and padding and slithering behind me, and I knew my pokemon were following me closely. They would follow me to the ends of the earth, trusting me to know what to do and where to go all the way to the end. And I was grateful for that. I had some pretty awesome friends in my pokemon, and I was so glad that I met each and every one of them.

And I would defend them with my life.

* * *

TBC

Okay so it didn't exactly get worse in THIS chapter, that's coming next chapter, but this one was important. Pretty serious stuff, death is. I just had to do a chapter on Vixen's reaction to Garret's death.

I'll get started on 67 right away. The thing I was hoping to do in this chapter just won't leave me alone. Brace yourselves guys, Vixen's life as she knows it is about to change forever.

Also, yay! We hit 200k words! _And we're still not done!_ Holy Arceus this is a huge fanfic XD.

See you in 67!


	68. Chapter 67: The Sailor's Lament

When we got through Route 12, we came to a small settlement surrounding a large, extravagant bridge. Looking around me, I saw houses mounted on the bridge and in between trees. On my left, there was a tennis court where people and pokemon were practicing the sport. As I stepped closer to the bridge, the faintest of melodies reached my ears, and I decided to investigate the sound. I began to cross the bridge, only to be stopped by an eccentric man.

"You! You're a trainer aren't you!? Battle with me! I've won 999 times in a row and if I beat you it will be my 1000th!" He shouted, looking absolutely rabid. I stared at him and blinked, trying to figure out just how to react.

"Uh, I would, but I REALLY need to get to Opelucid." I said, moving to walk around him. The old man quickly blocked my way again and grabbed my shoulders, making me yelp.

"NO! YOU WILL BATTLE ME AND GIVE ME 1000 WINS!" He shouted, shaking me a little. Before I could say anything, my pokemon reacted in an instant. Lola reached out and grabbed my clothes to pull me back while Beth slammed her tail into the man with Dragon Tail, forcing him away. With the wind knocked out of him, the man couldn't do anything as I was lifted by Lola onto the back of my very angry Zoroark. He opened his mouth to protest, but Sorrel and Sarah would have none of that, picking the man up and walking over to the side of the bridge.

"Wait don't!" I yelled, but it was too late. The pokemon swung him back and forth a couple of times before they slung him off the side of the bridge, casting him into the clear water below. As the man surfaced, several cheers erupted, and I looked around to see the people on the bridge applauding us.

"Wow great job!" Said a woman.

"That old fart has been bugging unsuspecting trainers for months, demanding battles with them." Said her husband.

"Yeah, the only reason he has 999 wins is because everyone was too shocked to think clearly! Thanks so much for doing what we've always wanted to!" Said another woman. The people of the bridge continued to heave their cheers on me and my pokemon while the eccentric man below swam for shore. Soon though, peace and tranquility returned, and I was able to hear the music again. I slowly tilted my head to the music, and gently nudged Zachary over to the other side of the bridge. He stood up as tall as he could and leaned down, allowing me to look over the side of the bridge.

At the bottom of the bridge, there was a group of men gathered around a large, steel barrel. The barrel had a small fire crackling inside of it, and the men that gathered around proved to be the source of the music I was hearing. One of the scraggily men had a beautiful silver flute to his lips. On his left was a man in a Mothim-eaten coat with an old sitar. On his left was a burly man that reminded me of the guy who tried to hurt me and Yapper in Castelia with his worn-gloved hands to his mouth, and he was beat-boxing along with the melody. The one closest to the bridge, the filthiest and most pathetic of the men, was singing in a beautiful tenor. I sighed in happiness and just listened to the words of their strange song. Though I couldn't understand a word of it, it was still very pretty and relaxing song.

"_Ore wa ne kamome ni horeta tasogare oyaji.  
__Ore wa ne kamome ni horeta tasogare oyaji.  
_

_Ore wa ne kamome ni horeta tasogare oyaji.  
__Ore wa ne kamome ni horeta tasogare oyaji.  
__Aoi ume o nagameta wa namida,  
__Aoi minato wa kamome obi satte._" He sang. It seemed to me that he was singing the same thing over and over again, but that hardly mattered. I clung to Zachary's mane tightly and wrapped my legs around his midsection.

"Can you take us down? I wanna talk to them." I said. Zachary smiled and nodded, bouncing me further up his back to make sure I was secure. He grabbed the rail in front of us and climbed on top, scaling down the bridge carefully. Sarah and Beth grabbed Sorrel and Lola and followed us from the air, and Beth was relieved to be rid of the extra weight she had to carry because of Lola. The men kept playing their song, not acknowledging us, until we cautiously approached them. The men stopped their song and looked at me with gentle smiles.

"Hello there little one, did you like our song?" Asked the beatboxer in a deep, baritone voice. I smiled and nodded, adjusting myself on Zachary.

"It's very pretty, but I can't seem to understand what it means. What language is that?" I asked, tilting my head. The singer laughed warmly and looked at me with bright eyes.

"It's an old language, my dear. It is the tongue our ancestors used to speak long ago, even before Unova's time." He said. I smiled and leaned down on my Zoroark while the rest of my pokemon gathered around us.

"What does your song mean then?" I asked. The singer smiled and moved away from the barrel, slowly approaching me and Zachary in a non-threatening manner.

"Alright, I'll translate it for you. From the top everyone." He said. The men nodded and began to play again while the singer cleared his throat and began singing again.

"_I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls.  
__I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls._

_I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls.  
__I am a geezer standing in the dusk, mesmerized by the gulls.  
__Gazing fixedly into the blue sea, I bemoan with shed tears,  
__as I yearn for the lovely gulls soaring above the blue harbor._" He sang. Instead of repeating the song this time though, the band stopped playing after 'harbor', and the man looked at me.

"I used to be a sailor, you know. I would travel all over the world with my shipmates. When there was nothing else to do, we'd watch the Wingull that flew over our boat. They are truly wonderful creatures, they would sometimes land and we'd share our food with them, and when things got rough, they led us back to port." He said as he and his friends shared a moment of nostalgia. I smiled and began to stroke Zachary under his mane.

"What happened?" I asked. The man sighed and looked at me sadly.

"There was a terrible storm. Our boat was too small to brave the waves that came our way. We tried, but we couldn't fight mother nature. I busted my knee trying to keep the sail up, and our boat got torn up by the storm. Most of the crew perished, but the four of us were rescued by water pokemon." He said, sitting down to rest his leg. He pulled up what remained of the leg on his torn pants, and I saw a gnarled, swollen bump where the mans knee was.

"Unfortunately, the docs couldn't do anything to save my knee, and I can't sail no more. These guys here, they're true friends. Nothin bad happened to them during the storm, but they refuse to leave me." He said, casting a loving glance at his band.

"Sailin isn't a very social profession. Once you get your sea legs, your crew is all the family you've got." Said the burly beatboxer.

"And you don't abandon your family. When your brother needs you, you stick by him through thick and thin." Said the flautist.

"We either succeed together or we fail together. That's the sailor's way." The sitarist said. I smiled at them and looked at my pokemon. I felt the same way about my pokemon, and I looked back at the men. They didn't have much, but they did have each other, and that's all they wanted. I sniffled and rubbed my eye, pulling my bag and reaching inside it. I took out a plastic container that had some precooked food in it, and I put a few poke on it, holding it out to the men.

"That's very beautiful. Here, take these. It isn't much but, I hope it helps you guys." I said. The men gratefully took the container and money from me, and the singer gave me a warm smile.

"Thank you. It's good to know there are a lot of kind people in the world. The Hero of Truth loved our music. She gave my buddy over there that brand new flute, and used to bring us blankets and stuff." He said. I gasped quietly at his words. This was one of Carina's hangouts? I didn't know how to feel about it, but I knew it was going to be a good one.

'_Vixen, I smell trouble, we need to go._' Lo said, looking behind her with a soft growl. I nodded and dismounted from Zachary, holding up his pokeball to recall him. As soon as he retreated into the capsule, I did the same with everyone else except Lola and hopped onto her back.

"I wish I could stay and talk to you some more, but I really gotta go. I'm sorry." I said, bowing my head. The men only smiled at me and tucked into the food I gave them while Lola began stomping away.

"Have fun on your journey, little one! And remember you're never alone!" Said the singer. I smiled and leaned down to pat Lola while she padded away, and I heard the battle-crazed man shout at us from the bridge. We ignored him though and continued to the gate. As soon as we got onto the route, I saw what Lola was sensing.

And it both frightened and anger me.

* * *

TBC

You can thank Bulbagarden for the original japanese lyrics and the translation of the Village Bridge song. Before BW2 introduced Floccesy town, the Villiage Bridge was my favorite place in Unova, and this song is the reason why. I used to go there and get all the accompaniments going just so I could sit/lay wherever I was and listen to it. Not play the game or anything but just let my DS Lite sing to me. You guys ever do that with your favorite game music?

Also, for those who have never played BW2, that guy on the Village Bridge is real. The second you get onto the bridge after climbing the stairs, he pops out of nowhere and demands a battle. I hate him so much XD. He's a pussycat though.

Alright, 68 is the one where things get chaotic. After 68, Vixen's not going to see very much of the world. What do I mean?

You'll just have to read and find out.


	69. Chapter 68: The First Encounter

It took everything I had to keep Lola quiet while we hid. As soon as we had made it to Route 11, we found Team Plasma. There was something different about this encounter though. The group Lola and I were watching from the cliff weren't the band we saw in Lacunosa. It was a different group of grunts who seemed to be searching for something. Standing near the cliff's edge was a tall man with green hair. He wore elaborate gold and purple robes, and each command he barked at the grunts was emphasized with the tap of a long cane that held an odd charm on top of it.

"Hurry up! I know Virizion is here somewhere. We MUST capture the Musketeers so that they don't get in our way!" He snarled at them.

"Yes Lord Ghetsis!" The group said in unison. I gulped loudly and cringed away from the edge of the cliff.

'_Lola, that's the leader of Team Plasma!_' I told her. Lola growled low in her throats. Though she wanted to go down there and raze the entire area, Lola opted to stay close to me instead, backing away from the cliff's edge.

'_Let's go! This is too dangerous!_' Said Lo cautiously. I nodded and quietly retreated further from the cliff's edge until I could safely stand without getting caught. Lola backed up into me and knocked me onto her back, turning to the bridge.

'_Maybe you should get Zachary. We'd be awfully exposed on the bridge._' La said as soon as her paw touched the smooth wood. I was going to agree and call out the fox when I looked at something on my left. In the plateau beyond the cliff, there was a form hidden among the tall grass. It was a large, green and tan form that blended in perfectly with the grass, and had I not caught its movement I would not have noticed it. Looking behind me real quick to make sure no one was watching, I pulled out my poked and adjusted the volume, turning it to the creature.

"_Virizion, the Grassland Pokemon. Virizion once fought humans to protect its friends, and its speed makes it a deadly opponent._" The pokedex said. I gasped quietly and dismounted Lola, grabbing Sarah's pokeball. Lola gasped in alarm and reached out to grab me before I could release the dragon.

'_What are you doing?! They'll catch us!_' Lola cried with both minds. I wrenched myself free from her grasp and held my pokeball close.

'_And they'll catch Virizion if we don't do something about it. I'm gonna have Sarah carry Virizion away while we make our escape._' I said, opening my pokeball. Sarah emerged from the light and opened her mouth to roar, but I quickly leapt up and held it shut.

"SHHHH! Team Plasma is too close! Listen, you see Virizion over there?" I asked in a whisper, pointing to the sleeping pokemon. Sarah looked in the direction I pointed and nodded quickly, my hands still holding her mouth closed.

"Grab it and hide it. Team Plasma is trying to capture it, and we can't let them. Keep Virizion safe. We'll meet you in Opelucid, it's just on the other side of that gate over there." I said, pointing to the building. I released Sarah's snout and stepped back to let her go on her mission, but she reached out and bumped my chest with her nose first. With a soft chirp, she launched herself towards the hidden pokemon, and I quickly mounted Lola to get away.

"Going somewhere?" Asked a voice. I gasped and turned my head slowly to identify my new companion. Floating on the right side of the cliff was the angriest looking Hydreigon I had ever seen. It looked like it wanted to rip me apart so badly, but it dared not act without its master's permission. Standing on it's back was Ghetsis, who looked positively smug. Lola growled and braced herself to attack, put I put a hand on her back.

'_Easy Lola, I don't think he knows who we are._' I told her, smiling at Ghetsis. Unless Zinzolin told him what I looked like, then he likely thought I was just a passing trainer. He probably wanted to make sure I didn't hear anything or see anything related to Team Plasma just now, and I was going to play into it.

"Yeah, I'm on my way to becoming the best trainer in Unova! Opelucid City is right through that gate over there, right?" I asked, pointing in the direction I needed to take. Ghetsis smirked and stepped off of his Hydreigon, tapping his cane on the asphalt.

"Indeed, but may I ask you something?" He said curiously. I nodded and continued petting Lola, who was still very tense despite my feigned calmness.

"What is it sir? By the way, your Hydreigon looks very nice." I said, trying to stroke his ego. Ghetsis snorted in amusement and cast a small glance at his pokemon.

"I suppose it does. Now then, what is your name?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me. I tensed up at his question, unsure of how to answer it.

'_What do I do?!_' I asked Lola frantically.

'_Get off our back and let me rip his face off?_' Lo said, making La snicker. I swallowed and grabbed my water bottle out of my backpack, taking a sip to buy me some time.

'_I like it but we'll save that as our backup plan._' I said, making the dragon giggle. I stopped drinking and put my water bottle away, resuming my smile.

"My name is Lola." I replied. Lola snorted indignantly, but I quickly nudged her back with my foot. Ghetsis eyed me suspiciously and stalked up to me and Lola. The Zweilous growled at him and started backing up, but Hydreigon quickly put a stop to that and appeared behind us. Looking around, I saw the Team Plasma grunts gather around under the bridge. I was cornered.

"Really now? Because you fit the description of someone who has been a nasty thorn in my side." Ghetsis said, walking closer to Lola.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just an ordinary trainer trying to get my badges. Please, can we go now?" I asked, reaching for a pokeball. Hydreigon barked at me and I quickly retracted my hand, laying it on Lola's side.

"Is that right? Are you sure you don't want anything else, _Vixen_?" He asked. CRAP!

'_He knows!_' Lo said, snarling. She reeled around to attack Hydreigon, but the ferocious dragon was too fast. It dodged her attack and quickly appeared behind us again, grabbing my jacket roughly in one of its heads and lifting me off Lola's back. I dangled in the air high above Lola, who roared at us.

"Put me down!" I shouted, reaching to pry off Hydreigon's grip.

"Don't you try anything Zweilous, or Hydreigon will obliterate her right now." Ghetsis warned. Lola reluctantly obeyed, backing down while he walked past her. He turned around to look me in the eyes with his one eye, and he glared.

"Now, I wanna know how long you've been here and what you heard. I promised my partner that I'd spare your life, but if you continue to be a nuisance you'll leave me no choice but to break it." He snarled. I glared right back at him and continued to struggle in Hydreigon's iron grip.

"I told you I was just going to Opelucid city! The Shadow Triad said I was allowed to continue to go after the league, and I've only got 6 badges!" I shouted at him. Ghetsis nodded at Hydreigon, who gave me a brief but violent shake in the air.

"Did you collect the badge in Lacunosa town?" He asked. I continued to glare, though I was a little dizzy from Hydreigon shaking me.

"No, I couldn't face Ryuna because your cowardly associates killed her best friend!" I snarled. Ghetsis burst out into laughter, shaking his head as though what I just said was the most hilarious thing in the world. When he composed himself, he wiped a tear from his eye, looking up at me while he continued to snicker.

"What a funny child, a pokemon being someone's 'friend'. I heard about what happened there from Zinzolin, it was just a stupid Garchomp. There are plenty of them around." He said, not bothered in the slightest. This made me incredibly angry.

"Garret was more than just a Garchomp you monster!" I spat. Hydreigon shook me again before I could continue my tirade, but I was still very very angry. I wanted to scream at him, yell at him, MAKE him feel bad about Garret's death. Yet, I couldn't do a thing about it so long as Hydreigon held me.

"Oh please, befriending pokemon is about as low and depraved as you can get. I have no need for such pretty philosophies in MY world. If you are going to cling to such fantasies, then I need to do something about you. Perhaps it is best I lock you away with that wretch you call a mother until my plan is complete. That should keep you out of my hair." He said. I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly covered my ears when I heard a loud, painful sound.

"ERRRRRRR!" Resounded the noise. As much as it hurt me, it drove Hydreigon insane, and it dropped me. I started plummeting towards the ground, and a white form rushed out and grabbed my hand with a webbed foot. I looked up at my savior and saw a fair-skinned young girl on top of a HUGE bird pokemon.

"Hang on! Pelipper's gonna let you down on the other side of the river! Hurry and hide!" She yelled, her brown ponytail bouncing. Though Pelipper was big and strong, it wasn't strong enough to keep us both in the air. It dropped me in the water and flew back up to the bridge.

"Use Supersonic again!" She commanded. Pelipper let out that piercing screech from before, disorienting both Lola and Hydreigon. Though my new friend was trying her best to buy me time, I couldn't leave without Lola. I held up Lola's pokeball as high as I could to recall her.

"Lola! This way!" I commanded. Lola allowed herself to be snared by the red beam, and when she safely returned to her pokeball I turned to run. Team Plasma grunts surrounded me at every turn, trying to block my way. Behind them a large red pokemon and a small green and tan one charged forward, throwing Team Plasma away from me and creating a path. I ran as hard as I could through the stream, stomping onto the land and throwing myself towards the forest to hide. I felt a heavy object collide with my back, and went tumbling down. When I pulled my head up, my friend and her Pelipper were beside me, dazed from their fall. I started to get up to try to help them, but Hydreigon appeared in front of me, sitting down on me with all its weight. As I struggled to breathe, Ghetsis strode over to us, livid beyond belief.

"Bad move, little girls. Very bad move." He said, pushing Hydreigon off of me. It was no act of mercy though. He only moved Hydreigon away from me so that he could hold me down with his own foot, glaring down at me while gripping his cane.

"I tried to be reasonable and let you continue your journey to the pokemon league. When that didn't work, I tried to be merciful and take you as my prisoner. You are a very belligerent child, and your behavior has left me no choice." He said, pulling on the bottom of his cane. The bottom half was revealed to be a sheath, and when he pulled it off, it revealed a long, pointy spike. He raised it far above me with both arms, getting ready to put as much strength as he had into it.

"My kingdom will have no use for a runt like yourself. I wish you luck in the next world!" He said, bringing his cane down.

I let out a long howl of anguish as a searing pain unlike any other tore through my body. I barely registered when Ghetsis had left me, and screamed harder when something picked me up. As I bounced around, I cried hard from the pain. I gripped my head with my hands and felt something warm and sticky cover them, the pain throbbing without mercy.

"OH GOD IT HURTS! HELP ME IT HURTS!" I screamed. As my head throbbed in agony, I began to sneeze. Dust of some sort gathered around me, and I felt myself drifting off to sleep. I tried my best to fight it, scared that I wouldn't wake up, when a gentle voice reached me.

'_Don't be afraid, this is Sleep Powder. I promise you will wake up safe and sound, but for now you need to rest._' Said the voice, though faint. There was something about this voice that made me trust it. Maybe it was just the fact that I was hysterical at the moment, but I chose to believe it. I stopped fighting the sleep powder and tried to distance myself from the pain.

And sure enough, I found relief when I entered my dreams.

* * *

TBC

There you have it. Shit has officially hit the fan. THIS is what I've been preparing you guys for the last couple of chapters. If you haven't figured out what just happened, don't worry, chapter 69 will explain everything.

Kudos to my little sister Spirit for her character whom I used in this chapter. You'll find out who she is in 69 as well.

I'm not sure what else to say right now. I'm still kind of….shocked. This seemed like a good idea and everything when I planned it out, but I dunno how to feel about it right now. Still pretty fresh. I apologize to everyone who read this chapter before going to bed. I owe you a Lunar Wing XD.

I'll start 69 right away.


	70. Chapter 69: And Eye Must Scream

When I woke up a few hours later, everything was dark. Not nighttime dark but dark dark. I felt very woozy, with a minor tinge of pain in my right eye. I had no idea where I was or what had happened, but I know I wasn't alone. Voices all around me, both mental and real, spoke very quietly.

"We should report this to the pokemon league." Said the rough voice of a man.

'_Yes, we should, but let's wait for her to wake up first. I want to make sure she is alright._' Said the soft voice from before I fell asleep.

"Oh dear, she will be okay won't she? I tried my best Virizion…" Said the voice of the girl whose Pelipper had saved me from Hydreigon.

'_Don't worry, Seimori. I stopped Ghetsis before he got any deeper. If she was going to perish, it would be from blood loss, but there is no danger of that._' Said the soft voice. It apparently belonged to Virizion, for the girl, Seimori, was satisfied by the answer. Amidst the haze in my mind, I reached out to Lola, and I felt the faintest sensation of her down in my hand.

'_Vixen? Are you alright?_' Lo asked, warbling softly.

"Hm? What are you doing Zweilous?" Asked the male voice.

'_It seems she's awake. Vixen, can you hear me?_' Asked Virizion. I groaned and tried to open my eyes, but no matter what I did I could only see blackness.

"Yeah, but I feel strange, and I can't see anything. What happened?" I asked, trying to sit up. I was getting more feeling back in my body, and I felt two pairs of hands on my chest pushing me back down.

"Stay down, you need to rest." Said Seimori softly.

'_I'll be happy to explain. First off, I am Virizion, young Vixen._' Virizion told me. I tried to smile, but wasn't entirely sure if I was doing it or not since most of the numbness was in my head.

"It's nice to meet you, but how do you know my name? And why are you here? I asked my Salamence to get you away." I said, horribly confused. I felt something soft bump against my hand, and a soft, ringing cry rumbled through the room.

'_Cobalion told me all about you. I'm the gentlest of the Swords of Justice, but I don't like humans anymore than Cobalion and Terrakon do. The fact that you won over our leader speaks volumes of you, and it doesn't hurt that you indeed risked your life to protect mine._' It said, sighing loudly enough for me to hear it.

'_Unfortunately though, you paid a very heavy price with your kindness. After Sarah picked me up and woke me, she told me about Team Plasma trying to capture me, and we saw Ghetsis strike you and the other girl down. Sarah dropped me when we saw him raise his cane and we rushed over to you, but we weren't fast enough to prevent him from hurting you._' Virizion said, its mental voice dripping with regret. I was even more confused by its words, and through sheer will and determination, I lifted myself up into a sitting position.

"Vixen, please lay down!" Called the man. I shook my head softly and reached up to my face. The reason I couldn't see was because I had some sort of cloth wrapped around my head. With a gulp, I started feeling around the cloth to find the ends so that I could untie it. I felt something long and broad touch the palms of my hands, and stopped moving when Virizion spoke.

'_I advise against that. You won't like what you'll discover if you take off the bandages._' Virizion warned. I tried to frown and whined softly.

"Virizion, please, what happened to me?" I asked. No one in the room said anything, but I heard a thumping stomp get closer to me, and Lola whimpered.

'_Here, we'll show you._' Lo said. I felt her mouth approach my head, and her teeth gently clasped onto the bandages. Though it warned me not to do this, Virizion did not interfere as Lola bit down to tear the bandages away from me, slowly but surely pulling them off.

'_We're sorry Vixen, we're so sorry._' La said as the last loop fell away. I gasped in shock, and I wanted to cry.

I saw I was in a dimly-lit hospital room wearing a hospital gown. Virizion with a large, green Sacred Sword protruding from its head, Seimori, and a tall, white-haired, bearded man stood at the foot of my bed, each giving me sympathetic looks. Through my left eye, I saw Lola hanging her heads in shame, the bandages hanging out of La's mouth. Through my right eye….nothing. I blinked several times, willing for my right eye to show me the same world my left eye was, but to no avail. I frantically looked around the room with my one good eye, and I found a mirror hanging on the far wall and brought my hands up to my mouth. The image I saw in the mirror did not seem real at first, but given my lack of sight, I knew it was. In the mirror, I stared at myself in horror with my left eye, focusing on the gaping hole where my right eye used to be.

'_We didn't get there fast enough to prevent Ghetsis from stabbing you, but I managed to ram into him before he could go too deep and kill you. You gave up your eye for me, and I am truly grateful for that. Legend hails me as the fastest of the Swords of Justice, but even that wasn't enough. Vixen, I am so sorry I couldn't have been faster._' Virizion said, withdrawing its blade. I began to hyperventilate as I contemplated Virizion's words, feeling myself fall into hysteria.

'_Vixen, please calm down! The medicine, you'll stress your body too much!_' Lo said, stomping over to me.

"GET BACK!" I screamed, breathing harder. Lola made a shocked squeak and stopped in place, obeying my command. She tried to speak to me again to comfort me, but I couldn't hear her. I was scared and confused and unwilling to accept the fact that I was now half blind.

"I, I want my mom! I want my Master! Wh-why did this happen!?" I screamed in panic. A pair of huge, muscled arms grabbed my shoulders and turned me towards their owner, and the man looked at me angrily.

"Get ahold of yourself! You're blind not dying!" He said, glaring at me. He held me still on the bed while he turned to Seimori.

"Go call the pokemon league. Tell the Elite 4 that Drayden wants them to come to Opelucid city right away and that it's an emergency!" He ordered. Seimori shakily nodded and ran out of the hospital room to make the call. Meanwhile, Drayden moved me over on the bed and sat on the side, pulling me close to him and clasping onto my body tightly in a solid grip. I could neither squirm nor shake, and Drayden's powerful aura alone forced me to calm down. I laid against him, inwardly shaking, while I watched Virizion walk over to us gracefully. It reared up and put its upper body on the bed, reaching over to nuzzle my face gently with its own.

'_Just take it easy, panicking is only going to make things worse. Just calm down and talk to your Zweilous._' It said, chirping something at Lola. She reluctantly obeyed, though I knew that she wanted to give me space, and both heads whimpered while they took my hand gently into their mouths.

'_We're sorry Vixen, we didn't mean to upset you._' Lo said sadly.

'_You have one eye though. That's something isn't it? It's going to be okay._' La told me, trying to cheer me up. I sniffled and struggled in Drayden's grip, and when Virizion peered into my mind and saw calmness taking hold, it smiled and grabbed Drayden's gloved hands, pulling them away. They watched as I pulled my hand out of Lola's mouths and leaned down to hug her.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you Lola. I'm just so scared and confused, but that was no reason for me to get angry with you. You were just trying to help me. Please forgive me." I said softly, sniffling. Lola warbled and nuzzled my neck with her heads.

'_We don't have to, we aren't angry at all about that._' Lo said, crooning.

'_Yeah, we did the same then when we were preparing for evolution. If there was anyone who understood what you are doing right now, it would be us. It's going to be okay, Vixen._' La told me, pulling away to lick my face. I sniffled and chuckled softly, petting their heads. I turned around and looked at Drayden and Virizion, who both watched me carefully.

"Are you alright now?" Drayden asked, tilting his head ever so slightly. I sat up in my bed and nodded, sighing.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that." I said, turning away in shame. I felt something poke my side, and turned to look at Virizion, who smiled at me warmly.

'_Don't be, you were scared. This is why I really didn't want you to take the bandages off. I wanted to wait until you were a little more sound of mind before we explained it to you._' It told me. I smiled softly at it and bowed my head to it.

"Thanks for saving me. So, what happened after you got Ghetsis off of me? Where did Sarah go? Where are the rest of my pokemon?" I asked. Virizion continued to smile and stood up, stretching itself slightly.

'_I had Sarah put you on my back and I carried you and the other girl to the Opelucid gym. She had a Venonat with her and we decided to put you out of your misery with its Sleep Powder. When we got to the gym, Drayden led us to the hospital where the doctors rushed you into the ER. They removed your clothes and gave your pokeballs to Drayden, and he had Sarah rush them over to the pokemon center. She let out Lola before she left and as far as I know, everyone is still there. After a couple of hours the doctors told us we could go in, and we stayed with you, discussing what our next move should be until you woke up. You know what happened after that._' Virizion said with a grin. I smiled sheepishly at Virizion and Drayden, and adjusted myself so that I could lay back in bed.

"Master is going to hit the roof when he sees that I lost an eye." I said with a hollow chuckle. If this didn't get him to try and make me give up for now, nothing would. But this time, I wasn't going to hear it. I had seen and experienced Ghetsis' cruelty firsthand, and I now bore the injury to prove just how heartless he was. I wanted to save my mother now more than ever.

I laid there in my bed, totally silent except for my light breathing. I had my eyes closed so I guessed that Virizion and Drayden assumed I was asleep. Lola knew I wasn't, but didn't give me away to either of them as she knew I needed time to digest everything that had happened. I laid there and meditated on my encounter with Ghetsis to figure out what went wrong and what I should do the next time I faced him. Lola interjected into my thoughts every so often, both to make sure I was okay and to give rather violent suggestions on dealing with Ghetsis. Hilarious though they were, I still wanted to avoid conflict with him where it was possible. Though this time he only took my eye, if it weren't for Virizion he would have taken my life. Ghetsis was a dangerous foe, and I needed to outwit him, not outfight him.

I heard shouting outside my door, and cracked open my left eye to find out what the commotion was. Drayden let out a long sigh and stood up, striding over to the door as though annoyed.

"I'll go see what's going on." He said, grabbing the doorknob. Virizion let out a soft giggle and turned to me with a smile.

'_Humans are such fussy creatures. This is so amusing._' It said. I chuckled and sat up while Drayden glared at Virizion.

"Well I'm glad you're enjoying it. I happen to think that members of pokemon league, ESPECIALLY the Elite 4, should conduct themselves in a more professional manner in public." He said, opening the door. As soon as he did, Grimsley and Shauntal burst into the room, their pokemon not far behind.

"Vixen are you okay!?" They yelled in sync, rushing to my bed. The elite trainers sat on the bed and looked at me with wide eyes, Shauntal looking absolutely focused on me for the first time, and I gave them a soft smile, sitting up.

"I'm fine. Well, mostly anyway." I said quietly. I took a deep breath and slowly opened the eyelids on my right eye, exposing the empty socket to them. Grimsley and Shauntal both gasped in horror, and I saw anger take ahold of both of them. Grimsley slowly reached out and grabbed my arms, pulling me close to him and hugging me tightly. Shauntal stayed where she was and put a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. I rolled my eye over to the side of my bed where Bisharp and Chandelure watched me, both equally upset at my condition, while Marshal and Caitlin awkwardly looked elsewhere.

As I sat here, listening to the quickened heartbeat of my Master, I tried to make sense of what had happened to me. I had just met the most horrible man who ever lived, and he wanted me dead. He didn't just want me out of the way, he wanted me DEAD. Why though? What did I ever do to him? I don't recognize Ghetsis from my past at all, and I never attacked his subordinates. The only thing I did that could possibly justify this is take back my pokemon when they were stolen. Is that so wrong? Did I deserve to lose my eye because I wanted to keep my friends?

But then, maybe he doesn't need a reason. Evil rarely does, and Ghetsis was about as evil as they came.

* * *

TBC

I apologize for the terrible, terrible dark pun that is the chapter name.

Sorry this took so long. I was, still recovering from what I just did to Vixen. I feel absolutely horrible for mutilating her like this. This is the worst thing I've ever done to her. This is even worse than when she got that mild concussion. At least she got better from that. She's gonna be half-blind for the rest of her life. Ghetsis is one evil dude, and I am one cruel authoress. ;3;

So lemmie explain what happened and how this came about. I decided to make Ghetsis' staff hide a spike in it. Contrary to Spammerhead's review, it is neither a pokemon spike nor a rapier. Some people like to take mundane objects, such as a cane or a big walking stick, and turn them into lethal weapons by sharpening the end, and then hiding it in a sheath that matches the object. This way, if they need to defend themselves, they can just pull the cane/stick/staff apart to reveal the point, and then attack with it.

That is what happened here. Ghetsis pinned down Vixen and pulled his staff apart. It turned into something like a small javelin, and he raised it above his head to give it as much force as possible. However, given the fact that he pulled it in half, it would take slightly longer for him to deliver the final blow than if he had a full-sized weapon. Virizion and Sarah went to stop the stabbing when he raised his weapon up, and Virizion was able to stop him from killing Vixen. However, it was not fast enough to stop him from stabbing her, nothing except maybe Dialga or Celebi is fast enough to do that from long range and he was fast enough to do it before Vixen could blink, but because of Virizion's interference, he didn't get too deep. That is why Vixen lost an eye, but still has her eyelids and her life.

Now, before you digest the full severity of her injury, focus on this: Vixen's gonna get an eyepatch. You may now start cracking the pirate jokes.

I'll see you guys in chapter 70.


	71. Chapter 70: Bouncing Back

It has been two weeks since Ghetsis attacked me on Route 11. In my bid to rescue Virizion and myself, Ghetsis caught me and tried to make me surrender to him. My new friend Seimori tried to help me get away from him, but unfortunately, his horrendous Hydreigon was too much even for her, and Ghetsis pinned me down. For my noble efforts in trying to protect one of the Musketeers, I was rewarded with a deep stab in my eye. I was lucky to get away with my life, but I lost the eye in its place.

Have you ever noticed just how important your complete eyesight is? Do you truly appreciate both of your eyes? I never really noticed until now, what with being down to my single left eye. Over the past couple of weeks, I had to go through some intensive physical therapy. Luckily, my master was a very successful gambler, and had more than enough money to pay for my hospital stay and treatment. I had to learn how to measure distance again, and how to move again. Losing my right eye all but shot my depth perception, and the result from that culminated in me constantly bumping into walls and grabbing at air when I was trying to grab something in front of me. Even though it annoyed Grimsley and Drayden to no end, I did not blame Virizion, Caitlin, and Marshal in the slightest for laughing at me for it. I'm sure this was very hilarious, and I kinda wish someone taped it so that I could watch this myself.

But I got better. In the room where the doctors were giving me my physical therapy, everyone created an obstacle course for me to navigate, and I got better at it every time I tried. I trained my left eye to compensate for my missing right eye every day. There was never a waking moment that I wasn't trying to enhance my sight. My friends helped me out quite a bit too. When the doctors went off the clock, they went on it, and I had someone with me at all times helping me out.

Shauntal made me write in her sketchbooks so that I could learn how to align things again. Grimsly reluctantly taught me how to play poker, under the condition that I never gamble on it, so that I could learn how to judge distances again. Marshal taught me some of his moves from when he was in the Mixed Martial Arts circuits so that I could not only learn how to steady my movements, but also so that I could retaliate at a moments notice the second someone approached me from my blind side without warning. Caitlin, in one of the few displays of feminism I had ever seen from her aside from her attire, taught me flower arrangement so that I could practice the skills I learned from her coworkers all at once. During all of these lessons, Lola stayed at my side, opting to give me extra protection by staying in my blind spot.

Drayden and Seimori were busy during the day, Drayden with his Gym Leader duties and Seimori with taking care of my pokemon, and Virizion was really uncomfortable in the hospital. But they managed to take time out of their schedules to come watch over me at night and help me with some of the simpler tasks I couldn't do myself yet.

It all seemed to go by so fast. It felt like one day, I was stubbing my toe on my bed, and the next, I was walking out of the hospital and taking my first breath of fresh air. I opened my eyes, though the missing one was hidden by my new eyepatch, and looked around the serene city for the first time.

Of all the places I had visited, Opelucid city was definitely the most beautiful place I had ever been to. It was a city that was not constrained by time, for it seemed to be a place where the past and the future coexisted in harmony. The road was old and made of pure white bricks, yet despite its age, it gave all who walked on it a welcomed feeling. The buildings that lined the streets, however, came right out of a Sci-Fi movie. They were black cylindrical towers with green tops and swirling blues dotting their bodies, with one large circle of swirling blue mounted at the foot where I assumed the door was. Upon approaching one of these buildings, the swirling blue door glowed and opened up in a rotation from the middle. A short, dark-skinned girl with wild purple hair walked out from the building, allowing the door to swirl shut again and pulsated through its rainbow of blues, and approached me with a smile.

"Hi there! You must be Vixen!" She said as an Axew popped out of her hair, looking at me with a smile. I blinked several times at her while Lola stomped up to us and stretched her necks out to the girl.

"Uh, hi. How do you know me?" I asked. The girl giggled and reached out to pet Lola's snouts, making her croon.

"My name is Iris! My grandpa Drayden told me all about you. Sorry about your eye, by the way. Are you okay now?" She asked, her smile slipping as she looked at me in sympathy. I tilted my head at her and gave her a soft smile of my own, lifting my hair over my right eye to show her my eyepatch.

"I'm fine. The physical therapy was a pain, but it's all good now. I wish Ghetsis didn't stab me though. I kinda liked my eye." I said with mild annoyance. Iris laughed and suddenly bounded over to me, enveloping me in a big hug, and I froze from the sudden contact.

"You're funny! Well I'm glad to hear you're alright now. Grandpa and Seimori were really worried about you, and Virizion has been feeling terrible about letting that happen to you." She said, pulling away reluctantly. I stepped back a couple of steps and sat down on Lola, who snickered at me.

'_It's alright, Iris is just, excitable. Don't take it the wrong way._' Lo said, reaching back to nuzzle me. I nodded and petted the dragon, looking at Iris warmly.

"I didn't mean to worry everyone. I wasn't expecting to meet Team Plasma on my way to the next gym, let alone to lose my eye to them. So, Drayden is your grandfather?" I asked, tilting my head. Iris laughed and shook her head, her Axew tightening its grip so that it wouldn't fall out.

"Not really, but he raised me since I was really little. But he doesn't mind when I call him Grandpa so I never bothered calling him anything else. Anyway, so you wanna challenge his gym?" She asked me. I nodded at her and petted Lola in between her necks.

"Well, yes and no. I wanna get some information from him, but getting my 7th badge wouldn't hurt either." I said sheepishly. Iris laughed and reached up, gently picking up the Axew in her hair and holding it out to me.

"Well the Opelucid Gym is the best gym in Unova! You'll have a blast! Take my Axew, he'll show you the way. It's easy to get lost in Opelucid since only the Gym and the Pokemon Center have unique building designs, but you'll get used to the layout after awhile." She said, still holding out Axew. I carefully reached out to take the little dragon from her, making extra sure I judged the distance right. Iris dropped Axew into my grip, and I pulled the little dragon close, cuddling him out of relief.

"I'm glad the therapy wasn't wasted, haha. Thank you Iris." I said, smiling at her. Iris smiled back and turned to the door, causing it to open.

"Alright guys! Time to go home!" She yelled inside. The ground shook as Iris stood back, and my pokemon came bounding out the door, screeching excitedly. I stood up from Lola and set Axew down on her back, charging towards my pokemon, and I wrapped my arms as far around my brood as I could, hugging them tightly. Even calm and collected Beth lost her composure and nuzzled my face roughly, warbling in relief. Thankfully, her scales were soft and smooth and watery, so I didn't stop her rare show of extravagant affection.

"I missed you guys too, is everyone alright?" I asked, looking at my pokemon. Zachary, Sarah, Sorrel, and Beth smiled and nodded at me, happy to be in my possession once again. Slowly though, a look of suspicion made its way to Beth's face, and she brought her tail around. She lifted the tip slowly and touched my nose, sweeping to the right to brush my hair away, exposing my eyepatch, and everyone's faces fell into looks of complete horror. Sarah turned to Lola and started chirping at her, and both heads slowly nodded, frowning.

'_They didn't know you lost your eye until just now._' Lo said solemnly.

'_Sarah only thought that you were stabbed in the cheek or something. She never realized how bad it was._' La added, sighing. I closed my eye and took a deep breath, opening it and smiling at everyone.

"It's alright you guys. It could have been worse. I may have lost my eye, but you haven't lost me. I'm still bound and determined to help you guys get stronger, and to stop Team Plasma's plot. What about you guys? You still wanna keep going?" I asked. Zachary, Sorrel, and Sarah all gave me confident, defiant grins, while Beth regained her regal composure. I smiled at them and turned to Iris, who watched the whole thing with sniffles and teary eyes.

"That was beautiful. Good luck against Grandpa!" She said, taking off down the street. I stared blankly after her and looked at Axew, who shrugged. He chirped something at Lola, who snorted in laughter.

'_Axew says that she's very flighty, and very hyper. Don't worry too much about her._' Lo said, looking around. I smiled and turned to the rest of my pokemon, recalling them into their pokeballs and walking over to Lola.

"That reminds me, wasn't Seimori looking after my pokemon? Where did she go Axew?" I said, leaning down a bit to look at him. Axew smiled and chirped at Lola, and La hummed.

'_Seimori stayed in Iris and Drayden's home while we've been here. It's cheaper than staying in a hotel. She went to go help Drayden in the gym, she'll meet you there._' La translated. I smiled and nodded at Axew, reaching over to pick him up. I turned around and held him close to my chest, Lola stomping into place beside me to guard my blind spot.

"Alright Axew, point the way!" I chirped, making Axew giggle. He wriggled in my arms as he pointed his stubby ones in various directions. He seemed to know exactly what he was doing, but I was still somewhat nervous, especially when we made right turns. Drayden was an awfully strong-willed man and he wasn't going to go down easily. It was the kind of challenge I normally liked, except I didn't get any time to train my pokemon.

'_Why not just hold this off until you think we're ready then?_' Lo asked, nudging me a bit to make me move out of the way of an obstacle.

'_It's not that I don't think we are ready, I know you guys are, I just need time to plan a strategy. We don't want another loss like the Mistralton gym right? Besides, we don't have time, we need to get that info on the 4th body from the dragon from Drayden._' I said, briefly turning to look at Lola before I quickly gave my attention back to Axew.

'_Well, why not use the one you were gonna against Ryuna? Drayden is a Dragon-user too, Seimori said so._' La pointed out. That bit of information made me smile, and I nodded in confirmation. If Drayden was anything like Ryuna, then maybe I DID have a strategy I could use. I never got to use it against the aged gym leader in Lacunosa, but hopefully it will work just as well here. As I came up to the gym, I stopped to admire it in wonder.

Compared to the futuristic appearance of the rest of the city, the Opelucid Gym looked more like a sacred temple. It looked like it was made out of pure white bricks in contrast to the black steel that the rest of the city was made out of, and two stone dragons were curled around it. In front of the building, there was a small, blonde woman playing a quiet melody on her flute, briefly opening her eyes at me in greeting. Axew chirped at me and gestured for me to move forward, and I cautiously did.

When I opened the door of the gym, I was met with the most exciting scene I had ever witnessed.

* * *

TBC

ERMAHGERD! THE COMMUNITY THAT KICKED OUT LOLA ADDED IT AGAIN! I are so happy, thanks you guys ;w;

I was browsing my reviews today and noticed that I'm missing some people. Come back Sketchy Smeargle, Mattii16, BoshiBasher555, Da_Undertoad_51, and Pokefan, I miss you ;3;

Vixen's better now, she finally got to learn some martial arts *and who better to teach her than Marshal? lol* and she's about to get her 7th badge. This is gonna be fun.

Okay so I was planning on doing something that was going to be really awesome in this chapter *that would definitely make my male readers fangasm from the epic XD* but that would have made this chapter really long, and it would do this thing better if it got a chapter all it's own. I'll get to work on that right now.

See you in 71!


	72. Chapter 71: Heart and Mind of a Dragon

*whirrrrrrrr*

*SKREE!*

*WROAAAAROOOOO!*

As Lola and I made our way into the gym, carefully balancing on a small platform that hung over what seemed to be a bottomless pit, I watched in astonishment as two huge, serpentine dragons, one black, one white, bobbed and weaved through the gym. Their colors reflected off the silvery metal that lined the walls, and people were standing on various platforms mounted on the walls while the dragons performed.

"Cory, try the thrusters and bank left!" Drayden's voice barked. The black dragon let out a mechanical roar as it raised its limbs, revealing a bright, circular light on its palms and the bottom of its feet. Two small rockets appeared behind the crests on its head, and with another roar the dragon turned to the left as hard as it could, gunning towards me.

"WHOOPS! Duck Vixen!" Seimori's voice called out beside me. Lola, Axew, Seimori and I quickly hit the floor as the black dragon soared above us, launching itself towards the ceiling. The two dragons intertwined and descended once more, grabbing onto some poles that were on either side of the platform I was now laying on. The dragon heads slowly inched towards me, tilting their heads down as they rested against the edges of the platforms. A hatch opened up at the top of the heads, revealing Cory and Drayden sitting in the cockpits of the black and white dragons, respectively. As they unhooked their seat belts and pulled themselves out of the robotic dragons, I stood up and looked back and forth at the two dragons.

"Please tell me I get to use those to fight my gym battle." I said, feeling a hopeful grin make its way on my face. Seimori smiled at me while Drayden cleared his throat.

"No, but you do get to pilot one for the gym challenge. Cory and I just finished the challenge. Are you up to battling right now?" He asked, walking over and bending down low to stare at me. He brushed my hair away from my eyepatch. Cory's eye widened, but he said nothing while Drayden inspected me.

"Yeah I'm fine. I can see just fine and my socket feels fine. So you were saying about the gym challenge?" I said, eager to get started. Drayden chuckled and crossed his arms, standing up while I fixed my hair again.

"Hm, yes, very well then. Now, if you wish to challenge me, you must first prove you have the heart of a dragon and are capable of thinking like one. You will pick one of these robotic dragons and pilot it while I pilot the other one. You will have 10 minutes to chase me down and catch me and, if you succeed, you will be allowed to challenge me to a battle. If you fail, you will leave for the day. Understand?" He said, watching me carefully. I grinned and nodded furiously at him, looking at the two dragons, trying to decide which one I wanted.

"So, are there any differences between the two I should know about?" I asked. Seimori hopped out of my blind spot and smiled at me while Cory looked bored.

"The White Dragon is better at turning than the Black Dragon is, but the Black Dragon is faster, and its thrusters work much better than the White Dragon's." She said. I nodded and hummed, stepping back to sit on Lola.

"Can I have some time to think about it?" I asked. Drayden nodded and turned towards the edge of the platform, walking off of it and onto the back of a Flygon, who carried him to the back of the gym. Seimori, meanwhile, chose to look over the dragons, which left me and Cory, as well as Lola and Axew. Cory walked over to me and leaned down to look at me with a glare.

"What's with the eyepatch? Did you get back from a costume party or something?" He said, reaching towards me. I gasped and quickly reached up to stop his hand as Marshal's training kicked in.

"Don't touch it, it's actually kinda scary." I warned, pushing his hand away. Cory snarled and wrenched his hand out of my grip, lashing his hand out to snare my eyepatch. Lola snarled and snapped, but wasn't able to stop Cory from pulling the cloth away, and when he saw the gaping hole in my head where my eye used to be, his cheeks puffed out. He dropped the eyepatch and turned away from me, grabbing a cup out of his bag and emptying the contents of his stomach into it, which in turn made me want to gag. I pushed down the reflex and gritted my teeth while Axew hopped down to retrieve my eyepatch, bringing it back to me with a chirp. I smiled and grabbed it from him, sighing while I started to put it back on.

"I tried to warn you." I taunted. Cory turned around and glared at me hard, though it wasn't very effective since he was very green.

"Shut up." He croaked, turning back to the cup as he gagged more.

"I never would have imagined you, of all people, to be so squeamish." I said teasingly, adjusting the eyepatch so that it sat comfortably on me.

"I mean it, Vixen, I will hurt you." Cory said, not bothering to turn around. I snickered and turned my own bag, opening it to pull out a bottle of water and some effervescent. I gave the bottle to Lo, who held it carefully, while I tore open the package to take out the two tabs. I pulled the water bottle out of Lo's mouth and opened it, pouring some of it out into her mouth before I dropped the tabs into it, holding it out to Cory.

"Here, this will help. Geez, you are looking more green than Virizion." I said. Cory snatched the water bottle out of my hand and downed the contents, holding his cup carefully. When he finished, he looked at me with an emotion I wasn't able to read. Was that concern I was seeing in his eyes?

"You met Virizion? Did it do that to you?" He asked. I smiled and shook my head, petting the space between Lola's necks.

"No, Virizion saved me. I met Ghetsis. He did this to me." I stated, frowning as the memory of Ghetsis' attack came back to me. Cory awkwardly set down his throw up cup and walked over to me, kneeling down until he was level with me while I sat on Lola.

"Ghetsis? That dude who runs Team Plasma right? What happened?" He asked. I took a deep breath and adjusted myself on Lola, crossing my legs as best as I could.

"He was trying to catch Virizion. I sent out Sarah to protect it and Ghetsis discovered me and Lola. When we tried to get away, he attacked me with a Hydreigon, and Seimori and her Pelipper tried to rescue us and got me out of Hydreigon's grip. But while I ran, Hydreigon defeated Seimori and Pelipper, and it pinned me down until Ghetsis got to us. He pulled his staff, cane, thingy, apart and raised the point up, telling me I was better off dead, and he stabbed me. I don't have any idea how I lived when he was honestly trying to kill me. Either the angle was bad, or Virizion really was fast enough to stop him midstab, but whatever it was, Virizion came to my rescue, got me onto its back, and got me away. I just got out of the hospital." I said, recounting the awful tale. Cory frowned and shook his head slowly, as though he couldn't believe it. He knew better than to think I would make up something like this though, and he looked up at me with a fierce expression.

"We should stop Vixen." He said suddenly, standing up.

"Cory…" I began, but Cory held a hand up.

"No, this is bigger than you and me Vixen. This is dangerous. Vixen, how many times does Team Plasma have to hurt you before you give in? Let the league deal with this, we're just two kids from a nobody town." He snarled. Lola whimpered, somewhat agreeing with Cory, but she knew why we couldn't back out. I closed my eye and shook my head slowly, opening it to look at Cory sadly.

"Maybe it is, but I can't, Cory. You can, and you should, but I have to keep going." I said, standing up. Cory sneered at me and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me slightly while he glared into my eyes.

"Why!?" He yelled, making Seimori squeak.

"Because they have my mother!" I yelled back, making Cory's face fall. He let go of me and stepped back, and I looked past him to see Seimori staring at us, wanting but unable to intervene. Cory stepped back on the platform and sat down by his cup, grabbing it and holding it tightly so that he wouldn't knock it over.

"Are you sure?" He asked after awhile.

"Cory, they took my eye. When someone who is capable of doing that tells you they have your mother before they do it, do you really think they're lying?" I asked him. Cory took a deep breath and closed his eyes, looking as though he were meditating. He opened them slowly and looked up at me, nodding and standing up, still holding his cup.

"Then you better get stronger. No one is allowed to take you down but me, Itty Bitty Vixy, so you better not let them. Take the Black dragon, speed is better for this challenge than maneuverability. You're more clever than I am so I know you'll be able to do it. I'm going to go train on Route 9. Don't you dare lose, runt." He said, briskly walking past me. I watched as he tossed his cup into a trash can by the front door, letting out Yapper and climbing onto his back. Without looking back, Cory urged Yapper forward, and the Arcanine took off, leaving me and Lola alone with our thoughts.

'_Did he just….give you advice and compliment you?_' Lo asked, thoroughly confused. I chuckled and stood up from her back, turning around to rub Lo's chin.

"Weird isn't it? That's probably the nicest thing he's ever said to me. I dunno who that guy was or what he did with Cory, but he can keep him!" I said, making Lola snort in amusement.

"Um." Chirped Seimori behind me. I turned around to see her looking at me with distress, and I instantly felt bad about fighting with Cory in front of her, even if this was one of our more tame battles.

"Sorry about that Seimori. It wasn't as bad as it looked, you know. We used to be a lot more violent than that. So are they ready? I know which one I want now." I said, putting on a happy face for her. Seimori smiled nervously and nodded, walking away from the White Dragon while Drayden returned to the platform on Flygon.

"Hm, so which will it be?" He asked, returning Flygon to its pokeball. I smiled and nodded, turning to the mecha that Cory had recommended.

"I pick the Black Dragon. Cory had a hard time with it, but maybe I can make it work for me." I piped, walking over to it excitedly. Lola padded after me and quickly got between it and me.

'_It looks steep, let us help._' La said. I sent appreciative thoughts at them and stepped onto Lola's back. The dragon grunted as she lifted me up, and I tumbled into the seat.

"Ow!" I yelped, much to Drayden's amusement. I righted myself in the cockpit and adjusted myself in the seat, looking at the joystick in front of me, various lights and buttons behind it and surrounding me.

"Oh boy, uh, help?" I asked, leaning up to look out at a chuckling Drayden.

"Don't worry, it's not as complicated as it looks. The levers above you turn the dragon on. There are two pedals under the control panel, one is the gas and the other is the break. You can adjust their position until you can reach them by turning the wheel that will be by your left elbow." Drayden said. I found the wheel he mentioned and began to rotate it quickly, bringing the pedals up to my feet.

"Got it! What now?" I asked. Drayden nodded and I saw him make his way to the White Dragon.

"The joystick is for the thrusters. The further forward it is, the more power you put into the thrusters and the faster you will go." He said, climbing into the cockpit of the other dragon.

"Wait, then how do I control movement?" I asked. The White Dragon's hatch closed, sealing Drayden inside, and started moving away from the platform.

"Use the trackball to maneuver, and the sliding levers on either side of you to control the front claws. The rest of the buttons are weapons, but those are for emergencies only. Let's begin." Drayden said as the White Dragon roared at me. I smiled and stood up, leaning over to recall Lola.

"So, how do I close the hatch?" I asked Seimori, who stepped back towards the doors.

"They'll close automatically when you put power to the Black Dragon." She said. I smiled and leaned back in my seat, looking down at Lola's pokeball.

'_Wanna be my copilot?_' I asked her.

'_Is that even allowed?_' Lo asked, hesitating. She really did not like flying in machines.

"Drayden, am I allowed to have help from my pokemon?" I called. The White Dragon stopped a few dozen feet away from me and stared.

"If you must, but only one pokemon may help you." He said. I smiled and started for Lola's pokeball, but then I realized something. This dragon was going to be bobbing and weaving a lot, not to mention I'd probably crash into things until I got the hang of it. This would likely traumatize poor Lola, and as her friend and trainer it would have been borderline abuse for me to do this to her. I pulled my hand away from her pokeball and grabbed another instead, opening it behind me. Sorrel appeared behind my chair, and I smiled as Lola's gratefulness flooded through me.

"Ready to help me out, buddy?" I asked. Sorrel grinned wide and nodded, quickly waddling over to me. I wasted no time in telling him about the various buttons and whatnot, and gave him the job of controlling the dragon's arms from behind me, not to mention keeping an eye on my blind spot. After I strapped myself into the seat and Sorrel braced himself behind me, I felt we were ready.

"Alright Drayden, here we come!" I yelled, reaching up to pull the levers that would put power into the mecha. The hatch closed and I felt the gas pedal unlock. I leaned in my seat as I watched Drayden move through the eyes of the Black Dragon.

"Okay Sorrel, let's go!" I commanded. Sorrel's paws pushed the buttons on the levers at my sides and pulled them back, and we started to fall. I stepped on the gas and leaned forward to grab the trackball, rolling it back until we started to climb.

"Sion!" Sorrel cried, and I looked up to see us rocketing towards the ceiling.

"Eep!" I yelped, rolling the trackball forward. We turned in the air and I saw Drayden flying in circles below us, and I could swear I heard him sigh.

"The break will make you hover when you are in the air. Your 10 minutes starts now, try to catch me Vixen! Prove that you have the heart of a dragon!" He called. I just grinned as I looked behind me to stare at Sorrel, who looked as excited as I was for this.

"You got it! Here we come Drayden!" I called. I grabbed the joystick and gently pushed it forward, stepping on the gas at the same time to shoot myself towards Drayden. As Seimori had said, the White Dragon easily dodged my advance, and it was all I could do to roll the trackball HARD right to avoid crashing into the wall. It wasn't a complete turn, for some part of the Black Dragon must have scraped the wall as evident by the screech of metal and the vibrating cockpit. When I looked up, I knew we weren't out of the woods yet, for we were again heading to the ceiling. I pulled back on the thruster and looked over my shoulder at Sorrel.

"Sorrel, push off against the ceiling!" I commanded. Sorrel barked and leaned forward, forcing the Black Dragon's arms out in front of us. Pushing anther button on the levers, the dragon's claws extended, and we hit the ceiling with a lot of force. My plan worked though, and I was able to make the Black Dragon backflip back down into the gym, using its claws to push off. I saw Drayden circling around again, as though taunting me to catch him, and I stepped on the brake to watch him closely while I thought of a plan.

"Alright, he's lithe and we're fast. We have 8 more minutes to catch him, and at this rate, we never will. What to do…" I muttered, looking at the control panel. Drayden said that most of these buttons controlled weapons, but surely not all of them did. I leaned in close to look at the buttons and read their descriptions, and I couldn't help but smile at some of them.

"Missles, flamethrowers, rocket claws, dear Arceus this thing is loaded. I wonder how Cory managed to resist this? Oh here's something. I don't think I'll get in trouble for this one. Alright Sorrel, let's get in close." I said, releasing the break. I pushed the thruster forward ever so slightly and started after Drayden, this time at a more controlled pace. The White Dragon stopped circling to look at me, turning away and fleeing before I could get too close.

"Hm, you're getting the hang of it. Well done, the chase is on." Drayden told me. I grinned and leaned forward, turning the Black Dragon to pursue the White Dragon. As Drayden said, the real chase was on. Sorrel was pumping his arms, flexing the Black Dragon's arms, trying to grab at the tail of the White Dragon. Yet Drayden would twist and turn and just barely escape from our reach. I pushed and pulled on the thrusters, adjusting my speed as Drayden and I flew around the huge gym, waiting for the right opportunity to begin my plan. Drayden began to ascend, winding his way up to the ceiling, and I looked up at the clock to see I only had 3 minutes left. It was now or never.

"You're mine!" I cried, slamming my hand on a button beside the trackball. The Black Dragon roared and I made it flip backwards, watching Drayden through its eyes as the tail lashed out, grabbing the tip of the White Dragon's tail.

"What!?" Drayden called. I felt the White Dragon pulling away from me, trying to free itself from the Black Dragon's grip, but it was no use. I fixed the trackball so that the Black Dragon pointed to the bottom of the gym, and I threw the joystick forward, pushing the thrusters as far as they would go. We pulled the White Dragon down into the abyss, and I pressed the button again, forcing the Black Dragon to throw the White Dragon further down.

"Now Sorrel!" I cried. Sorrel howled as he threw his arms forward, the Black Dragon doing the same. Its arms lashed out at the descending White Dragon, and with the push of a button, it clamped onto its foe with only a minute to spare. With a sigh of relief, I rolled the trackball back and we flew out of the darkness of the bottom of the gym. I whooped loudly as I stepped on the brake, floating in the middle of the gym to show my victory. A round of applause sounded around me, Seimori, the Gym Trainers, and the pokemon all congratulating me for doing what even Cory could not.

I had caught Drayden.

* * *

TBC

omg I love the update FF did for browsing fics. Is so nice~

And the community took me out. Again. Make up your minds dang you! Do you love Lola or not? Sheesh XD

This was probably the most fun I ever had with writing a chapter. My editor will tell you that I had a hard time getting it started, but once I did, it just flowed. I feel terrible for all the waiting I've made you guy endure, and all the heartbreak and violence, so this was my way of making up for it. After all, who doesn't like a good Mecha Battle? Next chapter, we'll go after the Legend Badge!

Anyway, to answer Sparx, the thing is, while Vixen DOES have a nice little menagerie, she can't just go charging into Team Plasma and blow shit up. One, she has no idea where to find them. Two, even if she did, even with all of her pokemon she can't take on the entire group, and it would take more time than she has to call for backup. And three, she's not so much a pacifist as she's just realistic. She's small, half blind, and strong-arming things really isn't her strong suit. Vixen is better suited to thinking of a strategy than out-muscling something. If you paid attention, you'd know that Lola WANTS to destroy Team Plasma in a bloody rampage, but Vixen won't do it because she simply _can't_.

See you in 72!


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